ALVEOLUS

alveolus, air sac, air cell

(noun) a tiny sac for holding air in the lungs; formed by the terminal dilation of tiny air passageways

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Noun

alveolus (plural alveoli)

A small cavity or pit.

(anatomy) An anatomical structure that has the form of a hollow cavity, as

(anatomy, pulmonology) A small air sac in the lungs, where oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged with the blood.

Synonym: pulmonary alveolus

(anatomy, dentistry) A dental alveolus (tooth socket): the socket in which a tooth resides.

(entomology) The socket of a macrotrichium (seta).

Source: Wiktionary


Al*ve"o*lus, n.; pl. Alveoli. Etym: [L., a small hollow or cavity, dim. of alveus: cf. F. alvéole. See Alveary.]

1. A cell in a honeycomb.

2. (Zoöl.)

Definition: A small cavity in a coral, shell, or fossil

3. (Anat.)

Definition: A small depression, sac, or vesicle, as the socket of a tooth, the air cells of the lungs, the ultimate saccules of glands, etc.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

3 May 2025

DESIRABLE

(adjective) worth having or seeking or achieving; “a desirable job”; “computer with many desirable features”; “a desirable outcome”


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Coffee Trivia

Some 16th-century Italian clergymen tried to ban coffee because they believed it to be “satanic.” However, Pope Clement VII loved coffee so much that he lifted the ban and had coffee baptized in 1600.

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