Ala

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈeɪ.lə/

Definitions

1. An anatomical structure that resembles a wing or wing-like projection in form or function
2. A term in linguistics describing a particular arrangement of sounds or letters that shares some characteristic with other similar groupings
3. A botanical reference to a lateral outgrowth or extension from a plant structure that aids in reproduction or support

Etymology: The Latin "ala" meant "wing", and it kept that sense for centuries before anatomists turned it into a term for body parts. In the 1730s, English borrowed it directly from Latin as a technical word, so a wing-shaped projection of the body could be named in the same way a bird's wing was. The word is a Translingual scientific term, used across languages in anatomy rather than as a common English word. Its use is most familiar in the ileum, the lowest part of the small intestine, where the word appears in anatomical diagrams and descriptions. Anatomists applied it to any flattened, wing-like part of an organ or structure, which is why the same Latin noun turns up in several different places in the body.

Synonyms: wing, flap, lobe, appendage