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

Other treatments for peanut allergy include: Avoiding foods that contain peanuts Receiving antibody injections (Xolair) to build up tolerance Preparing for a severe allergic reaction by carrying an emergency epinephrine autoinjector (EpiPen), or epinephrine nasal spray (Neffy). —Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 24 Apr. 2025

Newsom said Monday that the state will begin allowing residents to buy the overdose-reserving nasal spray via the CalRx website. —Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 21 Apr. 2025

Adjective

Some nasal steroid sprays, like Flonase, can be purchased over the counter, while others, like Azelastine, require a prescription. —Jillian Kubala, Health, 28 Apr. 2025

Congestion, nasal swelling, and airway constriction increase with sleep but can also disrupt sleep, leading to a vicious cycle of broken sleep as breathing is interrupted. —Rachael Zimlich, Bsn, Rn, Verywell Health, 25 Apr. 2025

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

Rhymes for nasal

• hazel
• phrasal
• appraisal
• intranasal
• reappraisal

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