alveolus

noun

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al·ve·o·lus | \ al-ˈvē-ə-ləs

plural alveoli\ al-ˈvē-ə-ˌlī

, -(ˌ)lē \

Definition of alveolus

1 : a small cavity or pit: such 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 : alveolar ridge sense 2

Examples of alveolus in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web But even when a patient is severely ill, some alveoli still function well. — Olivia Carville, Bloomberg.com, 10 May 2020 This could explain how the alveoli fail to oxygenate the blood without the patient noticing the need to gasp for more air. — Fox News, 28 Apr. 2020 These millions of alveoli are so soft, so gentle, that a healthy lung has almost no substance. — oregonlive, 7 Apr. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'alveolus.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Cite this Entry

“Alveolus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alveolus. Accessed 10 Aug. 2022.

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More Definitions for alveolus

alveolus

noun

al·ve·o·lus | \ al-ˈvē-ə-ləs

plural alveoli\ -ˌlī

, -(ˌ)lē

Medical Definition of alveolus

: a small cavity or pit: as

a : a socket in the jaw for a tooth

b : any of the small thin-walled air-containing compartments of the lung that are typically arranged in saclike clusters into which an alveolar duct terminates and from which respiratory gases are exchanged with the pulmonary capillaries

c : an acinus of a compound gland

d : any of the pits in the wall of the stomach into which the glands open