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alveolar

adjective
al·​ve·​o·​lar | \ al-ˈvē-(ə-)lər How to pronounce alveolar (audio) \

Definition of alveolar

1 : of, relating to, resembling, or having alveoli especially : of, relating to, or constituting the part of the jaws where the teeth arise, the air-containing compartments of the lungs, or glands with secretory cells about a central space
2 phonetics : articulated with the tip of the tongue touching or near the ridge of bone behind the teeth in the upper jaw \d\, \n\, and \t\ are alveolar consonants.
Other Words from alveolar More Example Sentences Learn More about alveolar

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Other Words from alveolar

alveolarly adverb

Examples of alveolar in a Sentence

The word “two” begins with an alveolar sound.

Recent Examples on the Web

 Garrett of Van Meter, a city of about a thousand people 20 miles west of Des Moines, was first diagnosed with alveolar fusion negative rhabdomyosarcoma in September. — Makayla Tendall, ajc, "'See ya later, suckas!': Family writes unique obituary for 5-year-old cancer victim," 13 July 2018 That led to their introduction in 1965 of a concept, called the minimum alveolar concentration, or MAC, that quickly became the standard measure of potency for anesthetic gases. — Denise Grady, New York Times, "Dr. Edmond Eger II, 86, Dies; Found Way to Make Anesthesia Safer," 20 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'alveolar.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of alveolar

1750, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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More Definitions for alveolar

alveolar

adjective
How to pronounce alveolar (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of alveolar

technical : of or relating to a speech sound that is made with the tip of the tongue touching the roof of the mouth near the front teeth

See the full definition for alveolar in the English Language Learners Dictionary

alveolar

adjective
al·​ve·​o·​lar | \ al-ˈvē-ə-lər How to pronounce alveolar (audio) \

Medical Definition of alveolar

1 : of, relating to, resembling, or having alveoli
2 : of, relating to, or constituting the part of the jaws where the teeth arise, the air-containing cells of the lungs, or glands with secretory cells about a central space

More from Merriam-Webster on alveolar

Britannica English: Translation of alveolar for Arabic Speakers

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