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nebulize

/ˈnɛbjəˌlaɪz/
IPA guide

Other forms: nebulized; nebulizing; nebulizes

Nebulize comes up mainly in medical contexts, where it means "to turn a medicine into a fine mist so that it can be breathed in."

A nebulizer is anything that turns a liquid into a mist to make it easier to spray, and nebulize is what it does. The most common situation in which you'll find liquids being nebulized is in medicine, especially for lung troubles like asthma. Typically, the medicine is nebulized and then given to the patient through a mask connected to a tube that filters the mist in. The word comes from the Latin nebula meaning "mist."

Definitions of nebulize
  1. verb
    turn a liquid, especially a medicine, into a fine mist that can be easily inhaled
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