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nasal

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(nā′zəl)

adjective

of the nose
articulated by means of partial or complete closing of the mouth, as at the velum, alveolar ridge, or lips, so that all or part of the breath passes through the nose, as in the consonants (m), (n), and (ŋ) and certain French vowels
characterized by such production of sounds: a nasal voice

Origin: ModL nasalis < L nasus, nose

noun

a nasal sound or a letter or symbol representing such a sound
Anat. a bone or plate of the nose
Origin: ME < OFr nasal, nasel < L nasus, nose
the protective nosepiece of a helmet

Related Forms:

nasality noun
nasally adverb

See nasal in American Heritage Dictionary 4

adjective

Of, in, or relating to the nose.
Linguistics Articulated by lowering the soft palate so that air resonates in the nasal cavities and passes out the nose, as in the pronunciation of the consonants (m), (n), and (ng) or the nasalized vowel of French bon.
Characterized by or resembling a resonant sound produced through the nose: a nasal whine.

noun

Linguistics A nasal consonant.
A nasal part or bone, forming part of the bridge of the nose.
The nosepiece of a helmet.

Origin:

Origin: Possibly from Middle English nasale

Origin: , from Medieval Latin nāsālis

Origin: , from Latin nāsus, nose; see nas- in Indo-European roots

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Related Forms:

na·salˈi·ty (nā-zălˈĭ-tē) noun

naˈsal·ly adverb

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