What does "nasal" mean?
A medicine that operates through the nose; an errhine.
Nasal
/ˈneɪ.zəl/ adj, name, noun
adj, name, noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A medicine that operates through the nose; an errhine.
- Grammar: nasal is listed as adj, name, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: rhinal, accented, adenoidal, aegis.
- Useful contrasts: breathier, clear speaking, huskiest.
- Usage evidence: I've had a nasal voice for two weeks.
How to use "nasal"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "nasal" 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 "nasal" 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 "nasal" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "nasal" 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 "nasal" is acting as adj, name, 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 "rhinal" 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 "nasal", 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 A medicine that operates through the nose; an errhine. archaic
- 2 an elongated rectangular bone that forms the bridge of the nose wordnet
- 3 Ellipsis of nasal consonant. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
- 4 a consonant produced through the nose with the mouth closed wordnet
- 5 Ellipsis of nasal vowel. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 The part of a helmet projecting to protect the nose; a nose guard. historical
"The nasal continued in use until about 1140, when it was generally discarded, but isolated examples may be found in every succeeding century down to the seventeenth."
- 7 Ellipsis of nasal bone. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
- 8 A plate, or scale, on the nose of a fish, etc.
Adjective
- 1 Of or pertaining to the nose or to the nasion. relational
"Reindeer are well suited to the taiga’s frigid winters. They can maintain a thermogradient between body core and the environment of up to 100 degrees, in part because of insulation provided by their fur, and in part because of counter-current vascular heat exchange systems in their legs and nasal passages."
- 2 Having a sound imparted by means of the nose; and specifically, made by lowering the soft palate, in some cases with closure of the oral passage, the voice thus issuing (wholly or partially) through the nose, as in the consonants m, n, ng.
"nasal vowel"
- 3 Characterized by resonance in the nasal passage.
"nasal utterance"
- 4 Sharp, penetrating.
Adjective
- 1 sounding as if the nose were pinched wordnet
- 2 of or in or relating to the nose wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 An Austronesian language spoken in Indonesia
Example
"I've had a nasal voice for two weeks."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "nasal"?
Common synonyms include: rhinal, accented, adenoidal, aegis, allophone, alveolar.
How do you use "nasal" in a sentence?
I've had a nasal voice for two weeks.
How do you pronounce "nasal"?
Pronounced /ˈneɪ.zəl/.
Etymology
From Middle English, from Medieval Latin nāsālis, from nāsus (“the nose”) + -ālis (“-al”, adjectival suffix). Doublet of nasalis.