ala

¹

[ ey-luh ]

noun

, plural a·lae [ey, -lee].

1. a wing.
2. a winglike part, process, or expansion, as of a bone, shell, seed, or stem.
3. either of the two side petals of a flower in the legume family, as the pea.
4. (in an ancient Roman house) a small room, as an alcove, opening into a larger room or courtyard.

Ala

²

[ ah-lah ]

noun

1. Hus·sein [h, oo, -, seyn], 1888–1964, Iranian statesman and diplomat: premier in 1951 and from 1955 to 1957.

Ala

³

abbreviation for

, Biochemistry.

1. alanine.

Ala.

⁴

abbreviation for

1. Alabama.

A.L.A.

⁵

abbreviation for

1. American Library Association.
2. Associate in Liberal Arts.
3. Authors League of America.
4. Automobile Legal Association.

Ala.

¹

abbreviation for

1. Alabama

ala

²

/ ˈeɪlə /

noun

1. zoology a wing or flat winglike process or structure, such as a part of some bones and cartilages
2. 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of ala¹

1730–40; < Latin āla wing, armpit, shoulder, representing *aks-lā, derivative of same base as axis axle ( axis ¹ ); axle

Word History and Origins

Origin of ala¹

C18: from Latin āla a wing

Example Sentences

He endured when the police kicked his team off a practice field in Montgomery, Ala., leaving it to drill in a parking lot.

From The Daily Beast

Chris McCary and John Sullivan live in Anniston, Ala., a small city even by Alabama standards.

From The Daily Beast

The National Voting Rights Museum and Institution in Selma, Ala., has some of the first voting booths used in the South.

From The Daily Beast

Last year, Mercedes, whose largest U.S. plant is in Tuscaloosa, Ala., invested $350 million in the facility.

From The Daily Beast

The Pecks forged a close bond with the reclusive author after a trip to her home in Monroeville, Ala., and her visit to the set.

From The Daily Beast

The remainder of the Regiment proceeded by the direct route to Athens, Ala., arriving there before sunset.

From Project Gutenberg

I agree very strongly with Mr. Sager of Bessemer, Ala., about the paper in the book.

From Project Gutenberg

Ala-ed-din devoted himself to the domestic policy of the State and undertook the first steps towards military organization.

From Project Gutenberg

But Ala-ed-din declined, asking only the revenues of a single village for his maintenance.

From Project Gutenberg

He accidentally met the forces of Ala-ed-din flying before a host of Mongols.

From Project Gutenberg