Rale
//ɹɑl// noun
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An abnormal clicking, rattling or crackling sound, made by one or both lungs and heard with a stethoscope, caused by the popping open of airways collapsed by fluid or exudate, or sometimes by pulmonary edema. in-plural
"Michael Colot, aged fifteen days, of a strong constitution, not having been sick from the time of birth, was, on the 22nd of November, taken with a violent cough, accompanied with a rale which could be heard without recourse to auscultation."
- 2 a rapid series of short loud sounds (as might be heard with a stethoscope in some types of respiratory disorders) wordnet
Example
More examples"Michael Colot, aged fifteen days, of a strong constitution, not having been sick from the time of birth, was, on the 22nd of November, taken with a violent cough, accompanied with a rale which could be heard without recourse to auscultation."
Etymology
From French râle (“groan”).
More for "rale"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.