adj Uncommon

nasal

NAY-zuhl

Nasal (adj) means relating to the nose. Example: “The doctor prescribed a nasal spray for her blocked sinuses.”

adj

Relating to the nose.

"The doctor prescribed a nasal spray for her blocked sinuses."

"He suffered a nasal injury after being hit by the ball."

Describing a sound made by letting air pass through the nose, as with the consonants "m," "n," and "ng."

"French has several nasal vowels that don't exist in English."

"The letter 'n' represents a nasal sound in most languages."

Of a voice: sounding as if it comes through the nose, often thought of as whiny or twangy.

"His nasal voice made him easy to pick out on the recording."

How to use nasal

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo do with the nose — whether it's a body part, a spray, or the sound of a voice that seems to come through the nostrils.

Common pairings

nasal spray nasal passage nasal voice nasal congestion

Word forms

more nasal comparative, most nasal superlative

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The doctor prescribed a _____ spray for her blocked sinuses.

Etymology

From Medieval Latin nasalis, built from nasus, "nose," plus the adjective ending "-alis."

Origin: Medieval Latin

Synonyms

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rhinal

Related words

rhinal

Rhymes for nasal

basal

See all rhymes for nasal →

Frequently asked questions

What does “nasal” mean?

The word “nasal” means relating to the nose. In plain terms, to do with the nose — whether it's a body part, a spray, or the sound of a voice that seems to come through the nostrils.

How do you pronounce “nasal”?

“Nasal” is pronounced NAY-zuhl (/ˈneɪ.zəl/ in IPA).

How do you use “nasal” in a sentence?

Here is “nasal” used in a sentence: “The doctor prescribed a nasal spray for her blocked sinuses.”

What part of speech is “nasal”?

“Nasal” is an adjective.

Where does the word “nasal” come from?

The word “nasal” comes from Medieval Latin. From Medieval Latin nasalis, built from nasus, "nose," plus the adjective ending "-alis.".

Is “nasal” a common word?

“Nasal” is an uncommon word in modern English.

How many meanings does “nasal” have?

“Nasal” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: relating to the nose.

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