ala
1 Americannoun
plural
alae-
a wing.
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a winglike part, process, or expansion, as of a bone, shell, seed, or stem.
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either of the two side petals of a flower in the legume family, as the pea.
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(in an ancient Roman house) a small room, as an alcove, opening into a larger room or courtyard.
noun
abbreviation
abbreviation
abbreviation
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American Library Association.
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Associate in Liberal Arts.
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Authors League of America.
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Automobile Legal Association.
noun
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zoology a wing or flat winglike process or structure, such as a part of some bones and cartilages
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botany a winglike part, such as one of the wings of a sycamore seed or one of the flat petals of a sweet pea flower
abbreviation
Etymology
Origin of ala
1730–40; < Latin āla wing, armpit, shoulder, representing *aks-lā, derivative of same base as axis axle ( axis 1 ); axle
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
And to the left of that shore is the Wai‘anae Mountains. The final rays of western light outline Mount Ka‘ala.
From Literature
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During his rookie season, Rams edge rusher Jared Verse established himself as one of the NFL’s most boisterous players — and also a force to be reckoned with ala former Rams star Aaron Donald.
From Los Angeles Times
But if you’ve got room in the basket, go ahead and lay some onions, carrots or celery under the bird or even stuff the cavity with some halved lemons, grapes, garlic and herbs, ala Colwin.
From Salon
Last month I also decided to practice manifestation ala influencer Amanda Francis, and as I delivered four large dishes to a client, I said to myself, “Money is flowing toward me in abundance.”
From Salon
The wildlife refuge is a wetland that provides nesting, feeding and resting habitat to the endangered Hawaiian stilt, known as aeo, and the Hawaiian coot or alae keokeo.
From Seattle Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.