nasal
1 Americanadjective
-
of or relating to the nose.
the nasal cavity.
-
Phonetics. pronounced with the voice issuing through the nose, either partly, as in French nasal vowels, or entirely (as in m, n, or the ng ofsong ).
noun
noun
adjective
-
of or relating to the nose
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phonetics pronounced with the soft palate lowered allowing air to escape via the nasal cavity instead of or as well as through the mouth
noun
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a nasal speech sound, such as English m, n, or ng
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another word for nosepiece
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of nasal1
1375–1425; late Middle English (adj.) < Medieval Latin *nāsālis, equivalent to Latin nās ( us ) nose + -ālis -al 1
Origin of nasal2
First recorded in 1470–80; late Middle English, from Medieval Latin nāsāle, noun use of neuter of nāsālis (unattested) nasal 1 ( def. ); replacing Middle English nasel, from Middle French, from Medieval Latin, as above
Explanation
Anything nasal relates to the nose, including a nasal voice that you can make by pinching your nose. Just as optical things relate to the eyes, nasal things relate to the nose. Your nostrils lead to your nasal passages, and if your septum (the middle part of your nose) needed to be repaired, it would require nasal surgery. Also, this word is commonly used to describe a kind of exaggerated, wheezy tone of voice that you can imitate by pinching your nose. Some people's voices are naturally nasal, like the singer Bob Dylan.
Vocabulary lists containing nasal
When You Reach Me
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Selected Short Stories of Flannery O'Connor
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for April 9–April 15, 2022
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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.
Nasal tanners are designed to be sprayed into the nostrils and claim to work by administering a substance known as Melanotan II, a chemical that darkens skin pigmentation.
From BBC • Mar. 7, 2025
Nasal shots could act as a booster dose, says Moss.
From Slate • Dec. 7, 2022
Kathy Nasal Peters, 75, was pleased with the content of the leaked draft opinion.
From Washington Post • May 5, 2022
Nasal rinsing is also thought to thin the mucus and reduce swelling that can cause congestion.
From Seattle Times • Jan. 28, 2022
"Nasal drip," Denton Deere whispered, confiding the latest diagnosis to his partner.
From "The Westing Game" by Ellen Raskin
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.
