nasal

1 of 2

noun

na·​sal ˈnā-zəl How to pronounce nasal (audio)
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 noun
nasally
ˈnā-zə-lē How to pronounce nasal (audio)
ˈnāz-lē
adverb

Example Sentences

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
Suspecting the worst, an administrator used Narcan nasal spray. Christina Montoya Fiedler, Good Housekeeping, 2 May 2023 And now, as a result of the FDA’s decision, Narcan nasal spray could soon be available OTC in all pharmacies. Joshua Cohen, Forbes, 1 Apr. 2023 Amp up your sources of moisture: Use a saline nasal spray, or try using a humidifier in your bedroom. Markham Heid, Men's Health, 31 Mar. 2023 Who makes Narcan nasal spray? Ideally, making naloxone available over the counter would mean easy accessibility for all who need it, next to common household staples such as aspirin or acetaminophen. Annalisa Merelli, Quartz, 29 Mar. 2023 Narcan: The overdose-reversing nasal spray is safe to sell over the counter without a prescription, two F.D.A. advisory panels recommended. Sharon Otterman, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2023 The first officers to arrive gave the girl CPR and two rounds of NARCAN, the life-saving nasal spray that reverses overdoses. Savannaheadens, oregonlive, 14 Mar. 2023 Migraine nasal spray: ‘Very quick’ relief Researchers found a 10mg dose of zavegepant was more effective than a placebo to relieve pain and other migraine symptoms after two hours, according clinical trial data published in February in The Lancet Neurology. Adrianna Rodriguez, USA TODAY, 10 Mar. 2023 Those concerns aside, Evoy thinks an OTC nasal spray is a good idea. Jen Christensen, CNN, 15 Feb. 2023
Adjective
The machine at the school’s Benson Memorial Center will dispense two-packs of Narcan, a nasal spray for delivering naloxone, with instructions on how to recognize signs of an overdose, how to administer the spray and to call 911, university officials said in a statement. Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2023 But experts say this test using spinal fluid could be the first step toward less-invasive testing to diagnose Parkinson's disease using blood tests or nasal swabs. Adrianna Rodriguez, USA TODAY, 14 Apr. 2023 The over-the-counter Narcan, which will be sold as a single dose given as a nasal spray, most likely won’t be available until the late summer, according to the company. Berkeley Lovelace Jr., NBC News, 29 Mar. 2023 Narcan is a nasal spray version of naloxone, a drug that blocks an opioid’s effect on the brain. Jan Hoffman, New York Times, 29 Mar. 2023 Still, the more expensive nasal sprays are coveted. David Ovalle, Anchorage Daily News, 17 Mar. 2023 Older antihistamines could cause delirium and dryness of the nasal passages, and they should really be avoided, Ellis said. Caitlin Pagán, Verywell Health, 17 May 2023 For more persistent allergy symptoms, steroid nasal sprays are often the best treatment option. Mansi Kanuga Md, Anchorage Daily News, 14 May 2023 The panel is slated to discuss whether ARS’s pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic data for neffy compared to epinephrine injection are sufficient to establish the efficacy and safety of the nasal spray and whether ARS’s data supports a favorable benefit-risk assessment. wsj.com, 11 May 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nasal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of nasal was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near nasal

Cite this Entry

“Nasal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nasal. Accessed 10 Jun. 2023.

Kids Definition

nasal

1 of 2 noun
na·​sal ˈnā-zəl How to pronounce nasal (audio)
: 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 noun
nasally adverb

Medical Definition

nasal

1 of 2 noun
na·​sal ˈnā-zəl How to pronounce nasal (audio)
: a nasal part (as a bone)

nasal

2 of 2 adjective
: of or relating to the nose
nasal inflammation
nasally adverb
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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