Main Entry: al·ve·o·lus

Pronunciation: \al-ˈvē-ə-ləs\

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural al·ve·o·li \-ˌlī, -(ˌ)lē\

Etymology: New Latin, from Latin, diminutive of alveus cavity, hollow, from alvus belly, beehive; akin to Lithuanian aulys beehive, Greek aulos tube, flute

Date: circa 1706

1 : a small cavity or pit: as a : a socket in the jaw for a tooth b : a small air-containing compartment of the lungs in which the bronchioles terminate and from which respiratory gases are exchanged with the pulmonary capillaries c : an acinus of a compound gland d : a cell of a honeycomb
2 : teethridge