cochlea n.

"spiral cavity of the inner ear of most vertebrate animals," 1680s, from Latin cochlea "snail shell," from Greek kokhlias "snail, screw," etc., from kokhlos "shell-fish with a spiral shell, sea-snail, land-snail," ("For the most part a generic word" — Thompson) which is perhaps related to konkhos "mussel, conch." Related: Cochlear.