nasal

¹

[ney-zuhl]

adjective

1. of or relating to the nose.

   the nasal cavity.

2. Phonetics.,  pronounced with the voice issuing through the nose, either partly, as in French nasal vowels, or entirely (as in m, n, or the ng ofsong ).

noun

1. Phonetics.,  a nasal speech sound.

nasal

²

[ney-zuhl]

noun

Armor.

1. a bar or narrow plate used with an open helmet as a defense for the nose.

nasal

/ ˈneɪzəl, neɪˈzælɪtɪ /

adjective

1. of or relating to the nose

2. phonetics pronounced with the soft palate lowered allowing air to escape via the nasal cavity instead of or as well as through the mouth

noun

1. a nasal speech sound, such as English m, n, or ng

2. another word for nosepiece

nasal

1. Relating to or involving the nose.

Other Word Forms

• nasality noun
• nasally adverb
• nasalism noun
• seminasality noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of nasal¹

1375–1425; late Middle English (adj.) < Medieval Latin *nāsālis, equivalent to Latin nās ( us ) nose + -ālis -al ¹

Origin of nasal²

First recorded in 1470–80; late Middle English, from Medieval Latin nāsāle, noun use of neuter of nāsālis (unattested) nasal ¹ ( def. ); replacing Middle English nasel, from Middle French, from Medieval Latin, as above

Word History and Origins

Origin of nasal¹

C17: from French from Late Latin nāsālis, from Latin nāsus nose

Example Sentences

Officials now stress awareness over prohibition: households are urged to clean tanks and pools, use clean warm water for nasal ablutions, keep children away from garden sprinklers and avoid unsafe ponds.

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In response, California started requiring campus health centers at most public colleges and universities to make the opioid overdose-reversing nasal spray Narcan available to students in campus residences.

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The “impact fractured his face, embedded shrapnel in his nasal cavity ... left him with permanent disfigurement, vision problems, and severe emotional trauma,” according to a statement by the Glucks’ attorneys.

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The ammonia gas irritates the nasal membranes, causing a reflex that increases breathing and heart rate.

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In flu, the inactivated flu injection that is given to adults is updated every year - as is the live vaccine that is given to children as a nasal spray.

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