ala

1 of 4

noun

ˈā-lə How to pronounce ala (audio)
plural alae ˈā-ˌlē How to pronounce ala (audio)
: a wing or a winglike anatomic part or process (see process entry 1 sense 4)
alar
ˈā-lər How to pronounce ala (audio)
adjective
alary
ˈā-lə-rē How to pronounce ala (audio)
adjective

Ala

2 of 4

abbreviation (1)

Alabama

ALA

3 of 4

abbreviation (2)

American Library Association

à la

4 of 4

preposition

ˌä-(ˌ)lä How to pronounce à la (audio)
ˌä-lə,
ˌa-lə
variants or less commonly a la
: in the manner of
walking with a swagger à la John Wayne

Examples of ala in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Preposition
Meanwhile, larger carriers like Delta, American, United and most recently, Southwest, have been adopting a la carte fees and no-frills ticket options that the budget carriers have long offered. — Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 18 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

borrowed from Latin āla "armpit, upper arm, wing, axil" going back to *akslā, going back to Indo-European *h2eḱs-(i)l-eh2- (whence also Germanic *ahslō-, whence Old English eaxl "shoulder," Old Frisian axle, axele "shoulder, armpit," Old Saxon ahsla, Old High German ahsla, ahsala, Old Icelandic ǫxl "shoulder"), derivative with an -l- suffix from *h2eḱs- "pivot around which something rotates, axle" — more at axis

Preposition

French à la

First Known Use

Noun

1634, in the meaning defined above

Preposition

circa 1642, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ala was in 1634

Browse Nearby Words

ala
ALA
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ala.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ala. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

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Medical Definition

ala

1 of 3 noun
ˈā-lə How to pronounce ala (audio)
plural alae -ˌlē How to pronounce ala (audio)
: a wing or a winglike anatomic process or part
especially : ala nasi

Ala

2 of 3 abbreviation
alanine; alanyl

ALA

3 of 3 abbreviation
1
alpha-linolenic acid
2
aminolevulinic acid

More from Merriam-Webster on ala

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ala

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