alveolar
adjective
al·ve·o·lar
al-ˈvē-(ə-)lər 
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.
alveolarly
adverb
Examples of alveolar in a Sentence
The word “two” begins with an alveolar sound.
Recent Examples on the Web
Getting a tooth pulled carries a risk of experiencing a dry socket, also known as alveolar osteitis.
—
Maxine Lipner, Verywell Health, 19 Oct. 2024
Doctors diagnosed Anderson with stage 4 alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare soft tissue cancer, in 2018.
—Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 26 Sep. 2024
Inside our lungs, white blood cells called alveolar macrophages work to keep the airways clean by engulfing and digesting debris, including dust and dead cells.
—Carl Engelking, Discover Magazine, 10 Mar. 2015
Some of the most common causes include lung damage from congestive heart failure, diffuse alveolar hemorrhage, interstitial lung diseases, lung cancer, and viral pneumonia.49
Congestive Heart Failure
Heart failure occurs if your heart is unable to pump blood throughout your body efficiently.
—Leah Groth, Health, 30 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for alveolar 
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Maxine Lipner, Verywell Health, 19 Oct. 2024
Doctors diagnosed Anderson with stage 4 alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare soft tissue cancer, in 2018.
—Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 26 Sep. 2024
Inside our lungs, white blood cells called alveolar macrophages work to keep the airways clean by engulfing and digesting debris, including dust and dead cells.
—Carl Engelking, Discover Magazine, 10 Mar. 2015
Some of the most common causes include lung damage from congestive heart failure, diffuse alveolar hemorrhage, interstitial lung diseases, lung cancer, and viral pneumonia.49
Congestive Heart Failure
Heart failure occurs if your heart is unable to pump blood throughout your body efficiently.
—Leah Groth, Health, 30 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for alveolar
Dictionary Entries Near alveolar
Cite this Entry
“Alveolar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alveolar. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
alveolar
adjective
al·ve·o·lar
al-ˈvē-ə-lər
: of, relating to, resembling, or having alveoli
Medical Definition
alveolar
adjective
al·ve·o·lar
al-ˈvē-ə-lər
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
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