Anatomy
bronchiole Audio
bron·chi·ole [ brong-kee-ohl ]
Subclass of:
Bronchi
Etymology:
Greek bronchos = windpipe + Latin -olus, a diminutive suffix
A logical term for the finer branchings of the bronchi.
Definitions related to bronchioles:
  • A small airway in the respiratory system that connects to the alveoli (air sacs); a branch of the bronchial tubes.
    Harvard Dictionary of Health Terms
    Harvard Medical Publishing, 2011
  • A tiny branch of air tubes in the lungs.
    NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
  • Smaller airways in the lungs; minute subdivisions of the bronchi that terminate in the alveoli (oxygen exchange apparatus).
    CRISP Thesaurus
    National Institutes of Health, 2006
  • The smallest subdivisions of the bronchial tree, which are both acartilagenous and aglandular.
    NCI
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
  • The small airways branching off the TERTIARY BRONCHI. Terminal bronchioles lead into several orders of respiratory bronchioles which in turn lead into alveolar ducts and then into PULMONARY ALVEOLI.
    NLM Medical Subject Headings
    U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2025
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This content should not be used in place of medically-reviewed decision support reference material or professional medical advice. Some terms may have alternate or updated definitions not reflected in this set. The definitions on this page should not be considered complete or up to date.