Synonyms

rale

American

[ral, rahl] / ræl, rɑl /

noun

Pathology.

an abnormal crackling or rattling sound heard upon auscultation of the chest, caused by disease or congestion of the lungs.

rale British

/ rɑːl /

noun

med an abnormal coarse crackling sound heard on auscultation of the chest, usually caused by the accumulation of fluid in the lungs

"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

Etymology

Origin of rale

1820–30; < French râle, derivative of râler to make a rattling sound in the throat; cf. rail ³

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