nasal

1 of 2

noun

na·​sal ˈnā-zəl 

1

: the nosepiece of a helmet

2

: a nasal part

3

: a nasal consonant

nasal

2 of 2

adjective

1

: of or relating to the nose

2

a

: uttered with the soft palate lowered and with passage of air through the nose (as with \m\, \n\, \ŋ\, \ōⁿ\, or \aⁿ\)

b

: characterized by resonance produced through the nose

3

of a musical tone : sharp, penetrating

nasality

nā-ˈza-lə-tē 

noun

nasally

ˈnā-zə-lē 

ˈnāz-lē

adverb

Examples of nasal in a Sentence

Adjective

a bottle of nasal spray

the nasal consonants and

the nasal vowels in French

Her voice is harsh and nasal.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The epinephrine nasal spray, called Neffy, offers an alternative to EpiPen injections and is approved for adults and children who weigh at least 30 kilograms (about 66 pounds), said the FDA in a statement. —Lisa Rapaport, EverydayHealth.com, 12 Aug. 2024

The Food and Drug Administration has approved ARS Pharmaceuticals’ nasal spray as the first needle-free emergency treatment for potentially fatal allergic reactions, the agency said on Friday. —Reuters, NBC News, 9 Aug. 2024

Adjective

This new nasal spray is expected to increase epinephrine access to more people, particularly children. —Emily Nadal, Parents, 15 Aug. 2024

So not exactly sink-sized amounts of nasal excretion, nor coffee cup size even. —Bethany Brookshire, Scientific American, 9 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from nes nose, from Latin nasus — more at nose

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

nasal

1 of 2 noun

na·​sal ˈnā-zəl 

: a nasal consonant

nasal

2 of 2 adjective

1

: of or relating to the nose

2

a

: uttered with passage of air through the nose

the nasal consonants \m\, \n\, and \ŋ\

the nasal vowels in French

b

: marked by resonance produced through the nose

speaking in a nasal tone

nasality

nā-ˈzal-ət-ē 

noun

nasally

ˈnāz-(ə-)lē 

adverb

Medical Definition

nasal

1 of 2 noun

na·​sal ˈnā-zəl 

: a nasal part (as a bone)

nasal

2 of 2 adjective

: of or relating to the nose

nasal inflammation

nasally

ˈnāz-(ə-)lē 

adverb