ala

1 of 4

noun

plural alae ˈā-ˌlē How to pronounce ala (audio)
: a wing or a winglike anatomic part or process (see process entry 1 sense 4)
alar adjective
alary adjective

Ala

2 of 4

abbreviation (1)

Alabama

ALA

3 of 4

abbreviation (2)

American Library Association

à la

4 of 4

preposition

ˌä-(ˌ)lä How to pronounce à la (audio)
ˌä-lə
ˌa-lə
variants or less commonly a la
: in the manner of
speaking with a passion à la Martin Luther King, Jr.

Examples of ala in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Preposition
Zero Proof and Bottomless Bubbles soda packages, or drinks can be purchased a la carte. Nathan Diller, USA Today, 12 June 2026 Wraps cost $5 a la carte or $10 in a box with a side and a drink, according to a news release from the Irvine chain. Fielding Buck, Oc Register, 11 June 2026 Show off gorgeous summer tomatoes with Pasta Pomodoro a la Plancha, a vegetarian showstopper that picks up serious depth over the flames without adding hours to the cook time. Editors Of Bon Appétit, Bon Appetit Magazine, 11 June 2026 This is the kind of player who, upon arrival in the show, proves to be worth the suffering of a tear-everything-down rebuild, a la Eldridge’s tall left-handed slugging counterpart on the Nationals this week, James Wood, who has emerged as one of baseball’s best players the past two seasons. Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 11 June 2026 Fleurette will continue to serve its a la carte menu in the dining room. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 June 2026 Down in Sicily, pasta a la Norma. Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 June 2026 Enjoy grilled shrimp a la carte or transform these skewers into po' boys instantly by sliding the shrimp onto a hoagie, adding lettuce, and topping it with the comeback sauce. Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 5 June 2026 An a la carte menu also will be available. Ben Crandell, Sun Sentinel, 3 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

borrowed from Latin āla "armpit, upper arm, wing, axil" going back to *akslā, going back to Indo-European *h2eḱs-(i)l-eh2- (whence also Germanic *ahslō-, whence Old English eaxl "shoulder," Old Frisian axle, axele "shoulder, armpit," Old Saxon ahsla, Old High German ahsla, ahsala, Old Icelandic ǫxl "shoulder"), derivative with an -l- suffix from *h2eḱs- "pivot around which something rotates, axle" — more at axis

Preposition

French à la

First Known Use

Noun

1634, in the meaning defined above

Preposition

circa 1642, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ala was in 1634

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ala.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ala. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.

Medical Definition

ala

1 of 3 noun
plural alae -ˌlē How to pronounce ala (audio)
: a wing or a winglike anatomic process or part
especially : ala nasi

Ala

2 of 3 abbreviation
alanine; alanyl

ALA

3 of 3 abbreviation

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