ala

1 of 4

noun

plural alae ˈā-ˌlē How to pronounce ala (audio)
: a wing or a winglike anatomic part or process (see process entry 1 sense 4)
alar adjective
alary adjective

Ala

2 of 4

abbreviation (1)

Alabama

ALA

3 of 4

abbreviation (2)

American Library Association

à la

4 of 4

preposition

ˌä-(ˌ)lä How to pronounce à la (audio)
ˌä-lə,
ˌa-lə
variants or less commonly a la
: in the manner of
walking with a swagger à la John Wayne

Examples of ala in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Preposition
Having a simple common system would remove the frictions caused by every state having different schemes that allow for different shenanigans, a la Florida's hanging chads. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024 This is because rather than a distinct format of its own, a la Dolby Cinema, which as well as the projector includes the décor and seats and audio, Barco by HDR only refers to the projection technology used. Benny Har-Even, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024 Saz’s Catering: Order a ready-to-reheat Thanksgiving dinner package and/or a la carte items. Elaine Rewolinski, Journal Sentinel, 4 Nov. 2024 If desired, add lemon juice, fresh fruit, club soda, or try transforming it into a kiwi-watermelon okra water popsicle, a la Duke. Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Nov. 2024 Snatch them up in 4-piece, 6-piece, 9-piece, and 12-piece options; either a la carte or as a combo. Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 28 Oct. 2024 The Hungry Bear should offer them as an a la carte side dish. Brady MacDonald, Orange County Register, 25 Oct. 2024 But don’t expect Dossier categories to be limited to a single artist or movement, a la Google search. The Editors Of Artnews, ARTnews.com, 15 Oct. 2024 The first channels offered a la carte include NBA Season Pass and FanDuel Sports Network (the current name of Diamond Sports’ RSNs). Brendan Coffey, Sportico.com, 1 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

borrowed from Latin āla "armpit, upper arm, wing, axil" going back to *akslā, going back to Indo-European *h2eḱs-(i)l-eh2- (whence also Germanic *ahslō-, whence Old English eaxl "shoulder," Old Frisian axle, axele "shoulder, armpit," Old Saxon ahsla, Old High German ahsla, ahsala, Old Icelandic ǫxl "shoulder"), derivative with an -l- suffix from *h2eḱs- "pivot around which something rotates, axle" — more at axis

Preposition

French à la

First Known Use

Noun

1634, in the meaning defined above

Preposition

circa 1642, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ala was in 1634

Dictionary Entries Near ala

Cite this Entry

“Ala.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ala. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

ala

1 of 3 noun
plural alae -ˌlē How to pronounce ala (audio)
: a wing or a winglike anatomic process or part
especially : ala nasi

Ala

2 of 3 abbreviation
alanine; alanyl

ALA

3 of 3 abbreviation

More from Merriam-Webster on ala

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!