nasal

¹

[ ney-zuhl ]

adjective

1. of or relating to the nose:

   the nasal cavity.

2. 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 of song ).

noun

1. Phonetics. a nasal speech sound.

nasal

²

[ ney-zuhl ]

noun

, Armor.

1. a bar or narrow plate used with an open helmet as a defense for the nose.

nasal

/ ˈneɪzəl; neɪˈzælɪtɪ /

adjective

1. of or relating to the nose
2. 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

1. a nasal speech sound, such as English m, n, or ng
2. another word for nosepiece

nasal

/ nā′zəl /

1. Relating to or involving the nose.

Derived Forms

• nasality, noun
• ˈnasally, adverb

Other Words From

• na·sal·i·ty [ney-, zal, -i-tee], nasal·ism noun
• semi·na·sali·ty noun

Word History and Origins

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of nasal¹

C17: from French from Late Latin nāsālis, from Latin nāsus nose

Example Sentences

Valadao also rarely pronounces his last name with the nasal Portuguese ending akin to Vala-downg, Borges said.

From Los Angeles Times

But overdoses are so frequent, he has arranged for outreach workers from a social services nonprofit to regularly deliver him boxes of Narcan — the nasal spray form of naloxone.

From Los Angeles Times

"We want fertilization, and it's all the way," Trump said, which is disturbing to read but even more unsettling in his nasal tone which makes it sound like a threat.

From Salon

As popularity increased, their product range expanded from chewing gum to include the five other antismoking products approved by the Food and Drug Administration: lozenges, patches, inhalers and nasal sprays.

From Los Angeles Times

There are needle-free options for getting the flu vaccine, such as FluMist, which has been available for many years as a nasal spray for non-pregnant people ages 2 to 49.

From Los Angeles Times