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areola

[uh-ree-uh-luh]
noun, plural a·re·o·lae [uh-ree-uh-lee] /əˈri əˌli/, a·re·o·las. Biology.
  1. a ring of color, as around the human nipple.
  2. a small interstice, as between the fibers of connective tissue.
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Origin of areola

1655–65; < Latin, equivalent to āre(a) area + -ola -ole1
Related formsa·re·o·lar, adjectivea·re·o·late [uh-ree-uh-lit, -leyt] /əˈri ə lɪt, -ˌleɪt/, a·re·o·lat·ed [uh-ree-uh-ley-tid] /əˈri əˌleɪ tɪd/, adjectivear·e·o·la·tion [air-ee-uh-ley-shuh n] /ˌɛər i əˈleɪ ʃən/, nounmul·ti·a·re·o·late, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
British Dictionary definitions for areolar

areola

noun plural -lae (-ˌliː) or -las
  1. anatomy any small circular area, such as the pigmented ring around the human nipple or the inflamed area surrounding a pimple
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Derived Formsareolar or areolate (əˈrɪəlɪt, -ˌleɪt), adjectiveareolation (əˌrɪəˈleɪʃən), noun

Word Origin

C17: from Latin: diminutive of area
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

Word Origin and History for areolar

areola

n.

"colored circle around a nipple," 1706, from Latin areola, literally "small area," diminutive of area (see area). Introduced in this sense 1605 by Swiss anatomist and botanist Caspar Bauhin (1560-1624).

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
areolar in Medicine

areola

(ə-rē′ə-lə)
n. pl. a•re•o•las
  1. A small area.
  2. Any of numerous spaces or interstices in areolar tissue.
  3. Areola mammae.
  4. A pigmented, depigmented, or erythematous zone surrounding a papule, pustule, wheal, or cutaneous neoplasm.
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Related formsa•re′o•lar null adj.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.