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bronchiole

American  
[brong-kee-ohl] / ˈbrɒŋ kiˌoʊl /

noun

Anatomy.

  1. a small branch of a bronchus.

bronchiole British  
/ ˌbrɒŋkɪˈəʊlə, ˈbrɒŋkɪˌəʊl /

noun

  1. any of the smallest bronchial tubes, usually ending in alveoli

"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
bronchiole Scientific  
/ brŏng′kē-ōl′ /

  1. Any of the small, thin-walled tubes that branch from a bronchus and end in the alveolar sacs of the lung.

Other Word Forms

  • bronchiolar adjective

Etymology

Origin of bronchiole

1865–70; < New Latin bronchiolum, equivalent to bronchi ( a ) bronchia + -olum -ole 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Each lobule receives its own large bronchiole that has multiple branches.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

Alveolar ducts are attached to the end of each respiratory bronchiole.

From Textbooks • Apr. 25, 2013

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.