Subscriber login


Forgot your password?

Library card login

Other

nasal

Syllabification: (na·sal)
Pronunciation: /ˈnāzəl/
Translate nasal | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of nasal

adjective

  • 1of, for, or relating to the nose:the nasal passages a nasal spray
  • 2(of a speech sound) pronounced by the voice resonating in the nose, e.g., m, n, ng. Compare with oral (sense 2 of the adjective).
  • (of the voice or speech) produced or characterized by resonating in the nose as well as the mouth.

noun

  • 1a nasal speech sound.
  • 2 historical a nosepiece on a helmet.

Derivatives

nasality

Pronunciation: /nāˈzalitē/
noun

nasally

adverb

Origin:

Middle English (sense 2 of the noun): from medieval Latin nasalis, from Latin nasus 'nose'

nasal in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of nasal in the British & World English dictionary

Nearby words

  |  Cite
Oxford Dictionaries Pro

For Oxford's best resources for writers, plus thesaurus, audio, and 1.9m examples.

GET PRO ►

Shop for an Oxford dictionary
Find the perfect Oxford dictionary for you in our online shop.
SHOP NOW ►

Word of the day

cur

/ kəː /
noun
an aggressive or unkempt dog …