alveolar

[al-vee-uh-ler]

adjective

1. Anatomy, Zoology.,  of or relating to an alveolus or to alveoli.

2. Phonetics.,  articulated with the tongue touching or close to the alveolar ridge, as English t, d, n; gingival.

noun

1. Phonetics.,  an alveolar sound.

alveolar

/ ˌælvɪˈəʊlə, ælˈvɪələ /

adjective

1. anatomy of, relating to, or resembling an alveolus

2. denoting the part of the jawbone containing the roots of the teeth

3. (of a consonant) articulated with the tongue in contact with the projecting part of the jawbone immediately behind the upper teeth

noun

1. an alveolar consonant, such as the speech sounds written t, d, and s in English

Other Word Forms

• alveolarly adverb
• interalveolar adjective
• postalveolar adjective
• pseudoalveolar adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of alveolar¹

First recorded in 1790–1800; alveol- + -ar ¹