What does ala mean?
Ala is a technical noun borrowed directly from Latin, where it meant "wing" or "armpit," and it survives today chiefly in scientific vocabulary. In modern usage it most commonly denotes a winglike structure: anatomists speak of the ala of the nose — the curved, flared tissue framing each nostril — as well as the alae of the sacrum, the sphenoid bone, and the thyroid cartilage. Zoologists use the word for the wings of insects, and botanists apply it to winglike petals or seed appendages. Because it is a specialist term, ala rarely appears outside medical, dental, biological, or artistic-anatomy contexts, where precision matters; sculptors and portrait artists, for instance, study the alae of the nose when rendering the face accurately. Its plural is alae, and related adjectives include alar and alate. For readers encountering it in a textbook or clinical report, ala simply signals that something is shaped like — or functions as — a wing.
nounA wing or a winglike anatomical part or process projecting from the side of an organ or structure, such as the flared outer portion of the nostril (the ala of the nose) or the winglike lateral expansion of a bone.
- A winglike anatomical structure, especially the lateral, flared portion of the nose around the nostril.
- In zoology and entomology, a wing of an insect or other animal.
- In anatomy, any winglike lateral expansion or projection of a bone or organ.
"The surgeon carefully reconstructed the ala of the patient's nose after the injury."
"The butterfly's forewing showed a distinctive pattern along each ala."
"Anatomists describe the ala of the sacrum as its broad, winglike upper surface."
The Latin plural "alae" is standard in scientific writing; it may be pronounced classically (/ˈiːliː/) or anglicized (/ˈeɪliː/).
"Both alae of the nose were examined during the procedure."
Every time you flare your nostrils, you're moving your alae — Latin for wings, right on your face.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of ala
Ala comes straight from Latin, where it meant "wing" (and also, in another sense, "armpit"). English adopted it as a learned anatomical and zoological term, retaining the Latin form rather than evolving through everyday speech. It shares this root with the adjectives "alar" (winglike) and "alate" (winged), which likewise derive from the Latin ala and appear mainly in scientific writing.
Related word forms
How ala is actually used
Primarily a technical term used in anatomy, zoology, medicine, and dentistry; rare in everyday conversation. In anatomical contexts it often appears in Latin phrases such as "ala nasi." The plural "alae" is pronounced /ˈiːliː/ in classical style or anglicized as /ˈeɪliː/.
Easily confused with ala
"À la" is a French loanphrase meaning "in the manner of" used in cooking and style, while "ala" is a Latin-derived noun meaning a wing or winglike structure.