alveolus

[ al-vee-uh-luhs ]

See synonyms for alveolus on Thesaurus.com

noun,plural al·ve·o·li

[al-vee-uh-lahy]. /ælˈvi əˌlaɪ/.

a little cavity, pit, or cell, as a cell of a honeycomb.
an air cell of the lungs, formed by the terminal dilation of tiny air passageways.

one of the terminal secretory units of a racemose gland.
the socket within the jawbone in which the root or roots of a tooth are set.

Origin of alveolus

1700–10; <Latin, equivalent to alve(us) concave vessel + -olus-ole¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use alveolus in a sentence

Frequently they are found in alveolar arrangement, retaining the original outline of the alveoli of the lung (Fig. 4, b).
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis | James Campbell Todd
It occurs as the covering epithelium of the alveoli of the lung, of the kidney glomerules and capsule, &c.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 6 | Various
In young females the width of the braincase is more than the distance between the alveoli of the incisor and first molar.
Subspeciation in Pocket Gophers of Kansas, [KU. Vol. 1 No. 11] | Bernardo Villa-R
These alveoli are far more distinct in some parts of the bodies than in others.
The Works of Francis Maitland Balfour, Volume 1 | Francis Maitland Balfour
This variety is found in separate lobules or alveoli on the inner border of the bodies.
The Works of Francis Maitland Balfour, Volume 1 | Francis Maitland Balfour

British Dictionary definitions for alveolus

alveolus

/ (ælˈvɪələs) /

nounplural -li (-ˌlaɪ)

any small pit, cavity, or saclike dilation, such as a honeycomb cell
any of the sockets in which the roots of the teeth are embedded

any of the tiny air sacs in the lungs at the end of the bronchioles, through which oxygen is taken into the blood

Origin of alveolus

C18: from Latin: a little hollow, diminutive of alveus

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for alveolus

alveolus

[ ăl-vē′ə-ləs ]

Plural alveoli (ăl-vē′ə-lī′)

Any of the tiny air-filled sacs arranged in clusters in the lungs, in which the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide takes place. Also called air sac

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