1
: the nosepiece of a helmet
2
: a nasal part
3
: a nasal consonant
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
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
Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 29 Apr. 2024
At the time most OTC nasal decongestants contained either phenylpropanolamine or pseudoephedrine.
—Randy Hatton, Scientific American, 21 Dec. 2023
Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 17 June 2024
Other things to consider beyond breed include cancers of the nasal tissue as well as potential fungal disease.
—Dr. Devon B. Smith, Baltimore Sun, 13 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for nasal 
Noun
The company has recalled more than 5 million such machines, most of them continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) devices, which force air through a mask to prop open nasal and mouth passageways while a person sleeps.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 29 Apr. 2024
At the time most OTC nasal decongestants contained either phenylpropanolamine or pseudoephedrine.
—Randy Hatton, Scientific American, 21 Dec. 2023
Adjective
The nasal gel is short-acting and doesn’t cause the body to maintain high testosterone levels throughout the day.
—Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 17 June 2024
Other things to consider beyond breed include cancers of the nasal tissue as well as potential fungal disease.
—Dr. Devon B. Smith, Baltimore Sun, 13 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for nasal
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.
Dictionary Entries Near nasal
Cite this Entry
“Nasal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nasal. Accessed 27 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
nasal
1 of 2 noun
na·sal
ˈnā-zəl 
: a nasal consonant
nasal
2 of 2 adjective1
: 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
Medical Definition
nasal
1 of 2 noun
na·sal
ˈnā-zəl
: a nasal part (as a bone)
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