alveolus
[ al-vee-uh-luh s ]
/ ælˈvi ə ləs /
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.
Nearby words
alveolodental membrane, alveololingual, alveolopalatal, alveoloplasty, alveolotomy, alveolus, alveopalatal, alveus, alvin, alvine, alvira
Origin of alveolus
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for alveolus
British Dictionary definitions for alveolus
alveolus
/ (ælˈvɪələs) /
noun plural -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
Word Origin for 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
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Medicine definitions for alveolus
alveolus
[ ăl-vē′ə-ləs ]
n. pl. al•ve•o•li (-lī′)
A small angular cavity or pit, such as a tooth socket or an air sac.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Science 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
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.