nasal
Meaning of nasal: Nasal structures and treatments involve the nose and nasal passages, which warm, filter, and humidify air on its way to the lungs.
Definition of nasal
Nasal means relating to the nose, including the external nose and the nasal cavity, the internal passage that connects the nostrils to the throat. The nasal passages warm, filter, and humidify air as it is breathed in, and they also house the structures responsible for the sense of smell.
The word describes nasal anatomy, such as the nasal septum, the wall of cartilage and bone that divides the two nasal passages, as well as symptoms and conditions such as nasal congestion, nasal polyps, and nasal infections. Nasal is also used to describe a route of medication delivery, as in a nasal spray, which allows certain medications to be absorbed through the lining of the nasal passages.
Because the nose sits at the entrance to the respiratory tract, nasal conditions can affect breathing, smell, and, at times, drainage of the adjacent sinuses, which connect to the nasal cavity.
How nasal is built
- nas/o, rhin/o Combining form · Latin and Greek nose
- -ac, -al, -ar, -ary, -eal, -ic Suffix · Greek and Latin pertaining to, relating to
A medical term is read from its ending backwards: the suffix first, then the prefix, then the root. See all 223 word parts.
Used in a sentence
A nasal spray was recommended to help reduce congestion associated with the sinus infection.
Good to know
Nasal congestion can result from swelling of the nasal lining, structural narrowing, or both, which is a distinction relevant to how persistent nasal symptoms are evaluated.
Word origin
Where “nasal” comes from
From Latin nasus, meaning "nose."