Bronchodilator is a medical noun referring to a substance or device that relaxes the bronchial smooth muscles, widening the airways to ease breathing. It is commonly used in treating asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The term combines 'bronchio-' (airway) with '-dilator' (widening agent).
"The doctor prescribed a bronchodilator inhaler for quick relief during an asthma attack."
"Researchers tested a new bronchodilator to improve lung function in COPD patients."
"Emergency staff administered a bronchodilator to open the patient’s airways."
"Patients often use a bronchodilator before exercise to prevent wheeze."
Bronchodilator derives from two roots: Greek bronchos (windpipe, airway) and Latin dilator (one that widens). The combining form bronchio- marks airways, specifically the bronchial tubes, from Greek bronkhos. The suffix -dilator comes from Latin dilator, meaning something that expands or stretches. The term entered medical usage as pharmacology advanced to describe agents that relax bronchial smooth muscle. In the late 19th to mid-20th century, many bronchodilators were discovered as synthetic sympathomimetic drugs (e.g., beta-agonists) and later expanded to include anticholinergics and methylxanthines. First known uses appear in pharmacology texts around the 1950s as inhaled medications became common for asthma management. The word’s construction mirrors other -dilator pharmacological terms (e.g., constrictor vs. dilator), and it reflects the ongoing development of therapies aimed at improving airway patency for respiratory patients.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Bronchodilator" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Bronchodilator"
-tor sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Break it as /ˌbrɒn.kəˈdaɪ.leɪ.tər/ (US) or /ˌbrɒnˈkɒl.dɪˌleɪ.tə/ (UK) with primary stress on the second or third syllable depending on variant. The key is BRON-CHO-DI-LA-TOR, stressing the 'di' or 'la' depending on the rhythm. You’ll start with an initial 'bron' sound, then a light 'kho' or 'ko' cluster, then a pronounced 'di', a long 'lay' vowel, and finish with 'tor' where the 'tor' is a quick, clipped 'tər'. Audio reference on major dictionaries or Pronounce can help lock the rhythm.
Two common errors: 1) Flattening the secondary stress, saying bron-koh-di-lay-der; ensure a clear /ˌdaɪ/ syllable and a softer -tor ending. 2) Misplacing emphasis on the wrong syllable, often stressing ‘bron’ or ‘co’ instead of the expected secondary stress. Correction: keep primary stress on the 'lay' or 'daɪ' depending on variant, and keep 'tor' unstressed or lightly stressed. Practice the sequence: BRON-koh-DI-lay-ter, with a gentle final syllable.
US tends to have /ˌbrɔːn.kəˈdaɪ.leɪ.tɚ/ with rhotic /ɹ/ and a clear /ˈdaɪ/; UK typically /ˌbrɒnˈkɒl.dɪˌleɪ.tə/ with shorter vowels and nonrhotic endings; Australian /ˌbrɒn.kɔːl.dɪˈleɪ.tə/ leans toward broad vowels and a more rounded final -er, though rhoticity is increasingly common. Key differences are vowel quality in the second and third syllables and the treatment of the /ɹ/ vs no rhoticity, plus slight shifts in the /ɒ/ vs /ɔː/ vowel. Listening to native speakers in each region helps embed these variances.
The word combines a long multisyllabic structure with a three-part stem and a final -tor that can blur in casual speech. The sequence br-ON-koh vs bron-CO- short vowels, the mid syllable /daɪ/ or /dɪ/ can shift, and the -dilator sequence introduces a diphthong in lay-tər. The stress pattern can feel fluid across dialects. Focusing on the syllable boundaries and the long /eɪ/ in -la-tor helps stabilize pronunciation.
Many learners search for how to pronounce the 'dilator' tail, which includes the /ˈlaɪ/ and the final /tər/ or /tɚ/. Emphasizing the 'lay' diphthong and keeping the final -tor short and non-syllabic in rapid speech helps. The 'bronchi-' portion also often triggers confusion between /ˈbrɒn.kɒl-/ vs /ˈbrɔːn.kə-/; training with minimal pairs around di-/daɪ-/la-/tor can anchor the rhythm.
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