1. any of the smallest branches of the bronchi in the lungs
Usage: medical

Examples

• The bronchioles carry air to the alveoli where gas exchange occurs.
• Asthma causes inflammation and narrowing of the bronchioles.
• Each bronchiole is less than one millimeter in diameter.
• The respiratory therapist explained how bronchioles branch throughout the lungs.
• Smoking can damage the delicate walls of the bronchioles.
• The doctor used a bronchoscope to examine the patient’s bronchioles.