alveolus
noun
al·ve·o·lus al-ˈvē-ə-ləs 
plural alveoli al-ˈvē-ə-ˌlī
-(ˌ)lē
1
: a small cavity or pit: such as
a
: a socket in the jaw for a tooth
b
: a small air-containing compartment of the lungs in which the bronchioles terminate and from which respiratory gases are exchanged with the pulmonary capillaries
c
: an acinus of a compound gland
d
: a cell of a honeycomb
2
: alveolar ridge sense 2
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web But even when a patient is severely ill, some alveoli still function well. 
Olivia Carville, Bloomberg.com, 10 May 2020 This could explain how the alveoli fail to oxygenate the blood without the patient noticing the need to gasp for more air. Fox News, 28 Apr. 2020 These millions of alveoli are so soft, so gentle, that a healthy lung has almost no substance. oregonlive, 7 Apr. 2020
Olivia Carville, Bloomberg.com, 10 May 2020 This could explain how the alveoli fail to oxygenate the blood without the patient noticing the need to gasp for more air. Fox News, 28 Apr. 2020 These millions of alveoli are so soft, so gentle, that a healthy lung has almost no substance. oregonlive, 7 Apr. 2020 Word History
Etymology
New Latin, from Latin, diminutive of alveus cavity, hollow, from alvus belly, beehive; akin to Lithuanian aulys beehive, Greek aulos tube, flute
First Known Use
1657, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Medical Definition
alveolus
noun
al·ve·o·lus al-ˈvē-ə-ləs
plural alveoli -ˌlī -(ˌ)lē
-(ˌ)lē : a small cavity or pit: as
a
: a socket in the jaw for a tooth
b
: any of the small thin-walled air-containing compartments of the lung that are typically arranged in saclike clusters into which an alveolar duct terminates and from which respiratory gases are exchanged with the pulmonary capillaries
c
: an acinus of a compound gland
d
: any of the pits in the wall of the stomach into which the glands open
alveolus
noun
as in cleft
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- cleft
- pocket
- socket
- dimple
- crater
- alcove
- nook
- gouge
- impression
- opening
- borehole
- imprint
- valley
- niche
- notch
- cavity
- basin
- well
- vacuum
- pothole
- sinkhole
- water hole
- chasm
- cavern
- abyss
- bowl
- cave
- trench
- furrow
- burrow
- concavity
- excavation
- chuckhole
- wallow
- void
- posthole
- groove
- hollow
- vacuity
- pit
- gutter
- trough
- gulf
- ditch
- indentation
- recess
- dent
- hole
- dint
- indenture
- depression
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- protrusion
- convexity
- projection
- bulge
- protuberance
- hill
- tumor
- mound
- camber
- rise
- swelling
- jut
- swell
- hump
- lump
- bump
- bunch
- pimple