bronchiole

American  

[brong-kee-ohl] / ˈbrɒŋ kiˌoʊl /

noun

Anatomy.

1. a small branch of a bronchus.

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bronchiole British  

/ ˌbrɒŋkɪˈəʊlə, ˈbrɒŋkɪˌəʊl /

noun

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

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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.

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Other Word Forms

• bronchiolar adjective

Etymology

Origin of bronchiole

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

Example Sentences

R.S.V. predominantly affects the small airways, called bronchioles, that branch off from bronchi in the lungs.

From New York Times

Normally 3.5 to 4 millimeters in diameter, nearly twice as wide as Valdastri’s tentacle robot, the device enters through a patient’s nose or mouth and goes into the lung’s airways, called bronchioles.

From Washington Post

Regions designated as small-airway disease by PRM corresponded to characteristics of that condition — the loss, narrowing, thickening and obstruction of the bronchioles.

From Nature

Neutrophils swarm into the lungs and may encourage scar tissue to build up in the bronchioles, the lungs’ smallest airways, which can cause them to clog.

From Science Magazine

About ten sextillion molecules of atmosphere are now squeezing their way through the intricate tree of bronchi and bronchioles forming your lungs.

From Scientific American