nasal

1 of 2

noun

na·​sal ˈnā-zəl 

1

: the nosepiece of a helmet

2

: a nasal part

3

: a nasal consonant

nasal

2 of 2

adjective

1

: of or relating to the nose

2

a

: uttered with the soft palate lowered and with passage of air through the nose (as with \m\, \n\, \ŋ\, \ōⁿ\, or \aⁿ\)

b

: characterized by resonance produced through the nose

3

of a musical tone : sharp, penetrating

nasality

nā-ˈza-lə-tē 

noun

nasally

ˈnā-zə-lē 

ˈnāz-lē

adverb

Examples of nasal in a Sentence

Adjective

a bottle of nasal spray

the nasal consonants and

the nasal vowels in French

Her voice is harsh and nasal.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The nasal spray targets the very location where the influenza virus infects the body. —Omer Awan, Forbes, 6 Oct. 2024

Enlarge Getty | Florian Gaertner The maker of a homeopathic nasal spray with a history of contamination is refusing to recall its product after the Food and Drug Administration once again found evidence of dangerous microbial contamination. —Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 19 Sep. 2024

Adjective

Medications like acetaminophen and ibuprofen can help with pressure caused by nasal swelling, Seibert said. —Korin Miller, Verywell Health, 23 Dec. 2024

As the object of this scrutiny, Chalamet is suitably magnetic, doing his own nasal singing and emanating an untested certainty in the spotlight that gradually solidifies into swagger. —Alison Willmore, Vulture, 18 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from nes nose, from Latin nasus — more at nose

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

nasal

1 of 2 noun

na·​sal ˈnā-zəl 

: a nasal consonant

nasal

2 of 2 adjective

1

: of or relating to the nose

2

a

: uttered with passage of air through the nose

the nasal consonants \m\, \n\, and \ŋ\

the nasal vowels in French

b

: marked by resonance produced through the nose

speaking in a nasal tone

nasality

nā-ˈzal-ət-ē 

noun

nasally

ˈnāz-(ə-)lē 

adverb

Medical Definition

nasal

1 of 2 noun

na·​sal ˈnā-zəl 

: a nasal part (as a bone)

nasal

2 of 2 adjective

: of or relating to the nose

nasal inflammation

nasally

ˈnāz-(ə-)lē 

adverb