adjective
alveolar
al-VEE-uh-lar
Alveolar (adjective) means relating to the tiny air sacs in the lungs. Example: “Alveolar damage can make breathing much harder.”
adjective
1
technical Relating to the tiny air sacs in the lungs.
"Alveolar damage can make breathing much harder."
"The alveolar walls are where oxygen passes into the blood."
2
technical Relating to the ridge of the jaw that holds the tooth sockets.
"The dentist examined the alveolar ridge before fitting the implant."
"Bone loss in the alveolar ridge can affect denture fit."
3
technical Describing a speech sound made with the tongue touching or near the ridge behind the upper front teeth.
"The letter t is an alveolar sound in English."
"She explained which consonants are alveolar during the phonetics class."
How to use alveolar
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo do with the lungs' air sacs, the tooth-socket ridge, or a sound made near that ridge.
When to use it
This is a technical term used in anatomy, dentistry, and phonetics rather than everyday speech.
Memory tip
If you are studying phonetics, try saying t or d and notice where your tongue touches, that is the alveolar ridge.
Trace the full origin ↓
Easily confused with
Common pairings
alveolar ridge
alveolar sac
alveolar consonant
alveolar sound
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Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
_____ damage can make breathing much harder.
Etymology
Alveolar is formed from alveolus, a term for a small cavity or sac, with the addition of the adjective-forming ending -ar.
Rhymes for alveolar
See all rhymes for alveolar →Frequently asked questions
What does alveolar mean?
It describes something relating to the small air sacs in the lungs, the tooth-socket ridge in the jaw, or a speech sound made near that ridge.
What is an alveolar sound in phonetics?
It is a consonant made by touching or bringing the tongue close to the ridge just behind the upper front teeth, such as t or s in English.
What are the alveoli in the lungs?
They are the tiny air sacs where oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged with the blood, and alveolar is the adjective used to describe them.
What is the meaning of alveolar?
"alveolar" (adjective) means relating to the tiny air sacs in the lungs.
