tur·bi·nate
ˈtər-bə-nət 
-ˌnāt
-ˌnāt
variants
or less commonly turbinated
1
: shaped like a top or an inverted cone
turbinate seed capsule
2
: relating to or being a turbinate
: one of usually several thin plicated membrane-covered bony or cartilaginous plates on the walls of the nasal chambers
Examples of turbinate in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Dallas News, 31 Jan. 2022
According to a review of studies published in July in PLOS One, a science journal, nasopharyngeal swabs are 98 percent accurate; shallow swabs are 82 percent to 88 percent effective; mid-turbinate swabs perform similarly.
—New York Times, 18 Nov. 2021
Maggie O'Neill, Health, 7 Apr. 2024
The turbinates pass the air on to the olfactory region lined with olfactory epithelium, which detects odors.
—Matt Hrodey, Discover Magazine, 8 July 2023
For me that was daily soft-palate exercises, a tennis-ball T-shirt, and that turbinate surgery, which greatly reduced my snoring.
—Paul Kita, Men's Health, 15 Dec. 2022
So anybody who’s using the deep turbinate now is just out of date.
—Steven Levy, Wired, 7 Aug. 2020
Research published this spring suggested that the mid-turbinate swabbing was sensitive enough, and could be done more quickly.
—Nathan Heller, The New Yorker, 20 May 2020
Specimen collection device: The mid-turbinate swab is not an FDA/CDC Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) approved specimen type.
—Sam MacHkovech, Ars Technica, 24 Apr. 2020
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Adjective
Other tests work by taking mid-turbinate nasal swabs.
—Dallas News, 31 Jan. 2022
According to a review of studies published in July in PLOS One, a science journal, nasopharyngeal swabs are 98 percent accurate; shallow swabs are 82 percent to 88 percent effective; mid-turbinate swabs perform similarly.
—New York Times, 18 Nov. 2021
Noun
Saline rinses help clear away any mucus and shrink down the nasal turbinates, or soft tissues on the outside of the nasal passage.
—Maggie O'Neill, Health, 7 Apr. 2024
The turbinates pass the air on to the olfactory region lined with olfactory epithelium, which detects odors.
—Matt Hrodey, Discover Magazine, 8 July 2023
For me that was daily soft-palate exercises, a tennis-ball T-shirt, and that turbinate surgery, which greatly reduced my snoring.
—Paul Kita, Men's Health, 15 Dec. 2022
So anybody who’s using the deep turbinate now is just out of date.
—Steven Levy, Wired, 7 Aug. 2020
Research published this spring suggested that the mid-turbinate swabbing was sensitive enough, and could be done more quickly.
—Nathan Heller, The New Yorker, 20 May 2020
Specimen collection device: The mid-turbinate swab is not an FDA/CDC Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) approved specimen type.
—Sam MacHkovech, Ars Technica, 24 Apr. 2020
Cite this Entry
“Turbinate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/turbinate. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
turbinate
1 of 2 adjective
tur·bi·nate
ˈtər-bə-nət
-ˌnāt
-ˌnāt
: of, relating to, or being a nasal concha
turbinate
2 of 2 nounLove words? Need even more definitions?
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