nasal
1 Americanadjective
-
of or relating to the nose.
the nasal cavity.
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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.
For example, Johnson points to Tezspire, a fairly new drug for treating nasal polyps with injections instead of surgery.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
Children, from the age of two upwards, get a nasal spray version, while adults have an injection.
From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026
His distinct, slightly nasal Chicago accent, combined with his seemingly limitless high-decibel vocal range, made the “Sirius”-and-spotlight introduction recognizable around the world, and copied by sports teams from middle schools on up.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 21, 2026
The 25-year-old took another medical timeout at 5-5 in the third set after appearing to struggle with a nasal problem.
From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2026
The resonant nasal tones of his voice became modified.
From "Murder on the Orient Express" by Agatha Christie
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.
