adj · noun · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:/alˈviː.əl.ə/
Received-Pronunciation:/ˌal.viˈəʊ.lə/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
General-American:/ælˈvi.əl.ɚ/
General-American:/ælˈvi.lɚ/
rhymes with -iːələ(ɹ)
rhymes with -əʊlə(ɹ)
American EnglishRecorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:AE0 L V IY1 AH0 L ER0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Relating to the alveoli (small air sacs) of the lungs.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable, relational
Topics: anatomy, medicine, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Relating to the jaw ridge containing the tooth sockets.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable, relational
Topics: anatomy, medicine, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adj
Meaning 3
Formed with the tongue touching or approaching the inner ridge of the gums of the upper front teeth.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Etymology tree Latin alvus Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Proto-Indo-European *-éyos Proto-Italic *-ejos Proto-Italic *-eos Latin -eus Latin alveus Proto-Indo-European *-lós Proto-Indo-European *-elós Proto-Italic *-elos Latin -ulus Latin -olus Latin alveolusbor. English alveolus Proto-Indo-European *h2el-der.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālis Latin -ārisbor. English -ar English alveolar From alveolus + -ar.
Across languages
Translations
95 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Catalan:
alveolar
— relating to the lung alveoli
Chinese Mandarin:
肺泡的
(fèipào de)
— relating to the lung alveoli
Finnish:
alveolaarinen
— relating to the lung alveoli
French:
alvéolaire
— relating to the lung alveoli
Irish:
ailbheolach
— relating to the lung alveoli
Italian:
alveolare
— relating to the lung alveoli
Portuguese:
alveolar
— relating to the lung alveoli
Romanian:
alveolar
— relating to the lung alveoli
Serbo-Croatian:
а̏лвеола̄ран
— relating to the lung alveoli
Serbo-Croatian:
ȁlveolāran
— relating to the lung alveoli
Spanish:
alveolar
— relating to the lung alveoli
Welsh:
alfeolaidd
— relating to the lung alveoli
Arabic:
سِنْخِيّ
(sinḵiyy)
— relating to the jaw ridge
Chinese Mandarin:
齒槽的 /齿槽的
(chǐcáo de)
— relating to the jaw ridge
Finnish:
alveolaarinen
— relating to the jaw ridge
French:
alvéolaire
— relating to the jaw ridge
Greek:
φατνιακός
(fatniakós)
— relating to the jaw ridge
Irish:
ailbheolach
— relating to the jaw ridge
Italian:
alveolare
— relating to the jaw ridge
Kashmiri:
دۆرتٲلؠ
(dortạ̄l')
— relating to the jaw ridge
Portuguese:
alveolar
— relating to the jaw ridge
Romanian:
alveolar
— relating to the jaw ridge
Scottish Gaelic:
ailbhealach
— relating to the jaw ridge
Serbo-Croatian:
а̏лвеола̄ран
— relating to the jaw ridge
Serbo-Croatian:
ȁlveolāran
— relating to the jaw ridge
Spanish:
alveolar
— relating to the jaw ridge
Welsh:
gorfannol
— relating to the jaw ridge
Arabic:
لِثَوِيّ
(liṯawiyy)
— formed with the tongue touching or approaching the ridge behind the upper teeth
Burmese:
မုဒ္ဓဇ
(muddha.ja.)
— formed with the tongue touching or approaching the ridge behind the upper teeth
Catalan:
alveolar
— formed with the tongue touching or approaching the ridge behind the upper teeth
Chinese Mandarin:
齒齦的 /齿龈的
(chǐyín de)
— formed with the tongue touching or approaching the ridge behind the upper teeth
Czech:
dásňový
— formed with the tongue touching or approaching the ridge behind the upper teeth
Czech:
alveolární
— formed with the tongue touching or approaching the ridge behind the upper teeth
Danish:
alveolær
— formed with the tongue touching or approaching the ridge behind the upper teeth
Finnish:
alveolaarinen
— formed with the tongue touching or approaching the ridge behind the upper teeth
French:
alvéolaire
— formed with the tongue touching or approaching the ridge behind the upper teeth
German:
alveolar
— formed with the tongue touching or approaching the ridge behind the upper teeth
Greek:
φατνιακός
(fatniakós)
— formed with the tongue touching or approaching the ridge behind the upper teeth
Hungarian:
alveoláris
— formed with the tongue touching or approaching the ridge behind the upper teeth
Icelandic:
tannbergsmæltur
— formed with the tongue touching or approaching the ridge behind the upper teeth
Irish:
ailbheolach
— formed with the tongue touching or approaching the ridge behind the upper teeth
Italian:
alveolare
— formed with the tongue touching or approaching the ridge behind the upper teeth
Kashmiri:
دۆرتٲلؠ
(dortạ̄l')
— formed with the tongue touching or approaching the ridge behind the upper teeth
Japanese:
歯茎-
— formed with the tongue touching or approaching the ridge behind the upper teeth
Malayalam:
വർത്സ്യം
(vaṟtsyaṁ)
— formed with the tongue touching or approaching the ridge behind the upper teeth
Mongolian:
түүшийн
(tüüšiin)
— formed with the tongue touching or approaching the ridge behind the upper teeth
Mongolian:
бүйлний
(büjlnii)
— formed with the tongue touching or approaching the ridge behind the upper teeth
Mongolian:
ᠲᠦᢉᠦᠰᠢ ᠶ᠋ᠢᠨ
— formed with the tongue touching or approaching the ridge behind the upper teeth
Mongolian:
ᠪᠦᠢᠯᠡ ᠶ᠋ᠢᠨ
(büile yin)
— formed with the tongue touching or approaching the ridge behind the upper teeth
Navajo:
tʼáá bízhání
— formed with the tongue touching or approaching the ridge behind the upper teeth
Polish:
alweolarny
— formed with the tongue touching or approaching the ridge behind the upper teeth
Polish:
dziąsłowy
— formed with the tongue touching or approaching the ridge behind the upper teeth
Portuguese:
alveolar
— formed with the tongue touching or approaching the ridge behind the upper teeth
Romanian:
alveolar
— formed with the tongue touching or approaching the ridge behind the upper teeth
Russian:
альвеоля́рный
(alʹveoljárnyj)
— formed with the tongue touching or approaching the ridge behind the upper teeth
Scottish Gaelic:
ailbhealach
— formed with the tongue touching or approaching the ridge behind the upper teeth
Serbo-Croatian:
а̏лвеола̄ран
— formed with the tongue touching or approaching the ridge behind the upper teeth
Serbo-Croatian:
ȁlveolāran
— formed with the tongue touching or approaching the ridge behind the upper teeth
Spanish:
alveolar
— formed with the tongue touching or approaching the ridge behind the upper teeth
Swedish:
alveolar
— formed with the tongue touching or approaching the ridge behind the upper teeth
Welsh:
gorfannol
— formed with the tongue touching or approaching the ridge behind the upper teeth
Catalan:
alveolar
— relating to alveolar glands
Chinese Mandarin:
泡狀的 /泡状的
(pàozhuàngde)
— relating to alveolar glands
Finnish:
alveolaarinen
— relating to alveolar glands
French:
alvéolaire
— relating to alveolar glands
Italian:
alveolare
— relating to alveolar glands
Romanian:
alveolar
— relating to alveolar glands
Russian:
альвеоля́рный
(alʹveoljárnyj)
— relating to alveolar glands
Serbo-Croatian:
а̏лвеола̄ран
— relating to alveolar glands
Serbo-Croatian:
ȁlveolāran
— relating to alveolar glands
Spanish:
alveolar
— relating to alveolar glands
Welsh:
gorfannol
— relating to alveolar glands
Chinese Mandarin:
齒齦音 /齿龈音
(chǐyínyīn)
— alveolar consonant
Chinese Mandarin:
齦音 /龈音
(yínyīn)
— alveolar consonant
