What does "areola" mean?
The circular, darkly pigmented area surrounding a nipple; the areola mammae.
Areola
/əˈɹi.ə.lə/ noun
noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The circular, darkly pigmented area surrounding a nipple; the areola mammae.
- Grammar: areola is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: annular muscle, annulus, areolar region, aureola.
- Useful contrasts: unpigmented area.
- Usage evidence: The circular area around the nipple is called areola.
How to use "areola"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "areola" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "areola" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "areola" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "areola" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "areola" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "annular muscle" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "areola", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The circular, darkly pigmented area surrounding a nipple; the areola mammae.
"Working with the Personal Genome Project, she has collected measurements and images of the areolas of 150 people so far. One initial finding is that the diameter of the areola seems unrelated to the number of areola glands — the small bumps in the skin surrounding the nipple."
- 2 small circular area such as that around the human nipple or an inflamed area around a pimple or insect bite wordnet
- 3 Any small circular area that is different from its immediate environment, such as the colored ring around the pupil of the eye (iris) or an inflamed region surrounding a pimple. broadly
- 4 small space in a tissue or body part such as the area between veins on a leaf or an insect's wing wordnet
- 5 Any of the small spaces throughout areolar connective tissue.
"The tubes or elongated spaces of which we have spoken, are not distended with any fluid, but are merely moistened in the same way as the areolas of ordinary areolar tissue."
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 Any of the small spaces between fibres of the tissues of certain lichens.
- 7 Small patches, bearing the spines and glochids characteristic of the stems of cacti.
"Every pulvillus or areola is studded with from six to eight spines... From these pulvilli, also called spiniferous areola, or very close to it, burst the young bud or flower. If the latter, it is then called the floriferous areola, and the point where the epidermis bursts is of a deep pink tinge."
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
unpigmented area
Example
"The circular area around the nipple is called areola."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "areola"?
Common synonyms include: annular muscle, annulus, areolar region, aureola, aureole, chaplet.
How do you use "areola" in a sentence?
The circular area around the nipple is called areola.
How do you pronounce "areola"?
Pronounced /əˈɹi.ə.lə/.
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin āreola (“small vacant space, garden”), diminutive of ārea. Doublet of areole.