a·re·o·la
(ə-rē′ə-lə, âr′ē-ō′lə)n. pl. a·re·o·lae (-lē′) or
a·re·o·las 1. A small ring of color around a center portion, as about the nipple of the breast or the part of the iris surrounding the pupil of the eye.
2. A small space or interstice in a tissue or part, such as the area bounded by small veins in a leaf or the wing of an insect. In both senses also called areole.
[Latin āreola, small open space, diminutive of ārea, open place; see area.]
a·re′o·lar, a·re′o·late (-lĭt) adj.
a·re′o·la′tion n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.