alveolar

[ al-vee-uh-ler ]

adjective
  1. Anatomy, Zoology. of or relating to an alveolus or to alveoli.

  2. Phonetics. articulated with the tongue touching or close to the alveolar ridge, as English t, d, n; gingival.

noun
  1. Phonetics. an alveolar sound.

Origin of alveolar

1
First recorded in 1790–1800; alveol- + -ar1

Other words from alveolar

  • al·ve·o·lar·ly, adverb
  • in·ter·al·ve·o·lar, adjective
  • post·al·ve·o·lar, adjective
  • pseu·do·al·ve·o·lar, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for alveolar

alveolar

/ (ælˈvɪələ, ˌælvɪˈəʊlə) /


adjective
  1. anatomy of, relating to, or resembling an alveolus

  2. denoting the part of the jawbone containing the roots of the teeth

  1. (of a consonant) articulated with the tongue in contact with the projecting part of the jawbone immediately behind the upper teeth

noun
  1. an alveolar consonant, such as the speech sounds written t, d, and s in English

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012