ala
[ ey-luh ]
/ ˈeɪ lə /
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noun, plural a·lae [ey-lee]. /ˈeɪ li/.
a wing.
a winglike part, process, or expansion, as of a bone, shell, seed, or stem.
either of the two side petals of a flower in the legume family, as the pea.
(in an ancient Roman house) a small room, as an alcove, opening into a larger room or courtyard.
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ALL IN FAVO(U)R OF THIS BRITISH VS. AMERICAN ENGLISH QUIZ
There's an ocean of difference between the way people speak English in the US vs. the UK. Are your language skills up to the task of telling the difference? Let's find out!
Question 1 of 7
True or false? British English and American English are only different when it comes to slang words.
Words nearby ala
Akureyri, Akutagawa, akvavit, Akwa Ibom, al, ala, Alabama, Alabamian, alabamine, alabandite, à l'abandon
Other definitions for ala (2 of 6)
Ala
[ ah-lah ]
/ ˈɑ lɑ /
noun
Hus·sein [hoo-seyn], /hʊˈseɪn/, 1888–1964, Iranian statesman and diplomat: premier in 1951 and from 1955 to 1957.
Other definitions for ala (3 of 6)
Other definitions for ala (4 of 6)
à la
or a la
[ ahlah, ahluh; French ala ]
/ ˈɑ lɑ, ˈɑ lə; French a la /
preposition
according to; in the manner of: a short poem à la Ogden Nash.
Cooking.
- prepared in the manner of, to the taste of, or by: chicken à la provençale.
- prepared with the ingredient of.
Origin of à la
1580–90; <French: short for à la mode de in the style of
Other definitions for ala (5 of 6)
Ala.
abbreviation
Alabama.
Other definitions for ala (6 of 6)
A.L.A.
abbreviation
American Library Association.
Associate in Liberal Arts.
Authors League of America.
Automobile Legal Association.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use ala in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for ala (1 of 3)
ala
/ (ˈeɪlə) /
noun plural alae (ˈeɪliː)
zoology a wing or flat winglike process or structure, such as a part of some bones and cartilages
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 Origin for ala
C18: from Latin āla a wing
British Dictionary definitions for ala (2 of 3)
à la
/ (ɑː lɑː, æ lə, French a la) /
preposition
in the manner or style of
as prepared in (a particular place) or by or for (a particular person)
Word Origin for à la
C17: from French, short for à la mode de in the style of
British Dictionary definitions for ala (3 of 3)
Ala.
abbreviation for
Alabama
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Other Idioms and Phrases with ala
à la
Like, in the manner of, as in He hoped to break all records, à la Babe Ruth. This expression, an abbreviation of the French à la mode de (for “in the manner of”), has been used in English since the late 1500s.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.