rale

noun

ˈral  ˈräl 

: an abnormal sound heard accompanying the normal respiratory sounds on auscultation of the chest

Examples of rale in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Commerce Department reported Tuesday that retail sales grew 0.6% in August, beating expectations, with core retail rales rising 0.7% and July staying unrevised at 0.5%. —Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 17 Sep. 2025

Literally nothing: no rales, no breath sounds, nothing. —Discover Magazine, 12 Nov. 2019

For my preceptor, similarly, those wet rales were as recognizable as a familiar jingle. —Siddhartha Mukherjee, The New Yorker, 23 Mar. 2017

Word History

Etymology

French râle, from râler to make a rattling sound in the throat

First Known Use

1828, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

rale

noun

ˈral  ˈräl 

: an abnormal sound that accompanies the sounds of normal breathing (as in bronchitis)

Medical Definition

rale

noun

ˈral  ˈräl 

: an abnormal sound heard accompanying the normal respiratory sounds on auscultation of the chest compare rattle sense 2, rhonchus