nebulise

IPA/ˈneb.jə.laɪz/
IPA/ˈneb.jə.laɪz/

nebulise — verb

  • nebulisepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • nebulises3rd person singular
  • nebulising-ing form
  • nebulisedpast simple

1. to give a patient liquid medicine in the form of a fine mist that they breathe i

1.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to give a patient liquid medicine in the form of a fine mist that they breathe in through a special device called a nebuliser

Example

The nurse nebulised Leo with a bronchodilator to open his airways.

nebulise + patient + with + medication

Patients with severe asthma are nebulised four times a day at the clinic.

passive: be nebulised + frequency

Common collocations
  • nebulise a patient
  • nebulised with salbutamol
  • nebulised every four hours
  • nebulised before exercise
Synonyms
  • aerosolise

    broader term; can mean dispersing as an aerosol for any purpose, not limited to medical treatment

Grammar Patterns

nebulise + patient + with + medication

patient + be nebulised + with + medication

nebulise + patient

Usage Note

Frequently used in the passive voice ("the patient was nebulised") when the focus is on the treatment rather than the person administering it.

2. to turn a liquid, especially a medicinal liquid, into an aerosol or cloud of tin

2.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to turn a liquid, especially a medicinal liquid, into an aerosol or cloud of tiny droplets that a person breathes in

Example

The machine nebulises the liquid medication into a fine mist within seconds.

nebulise + noun + into + noun

This portable device can nebulise the drug so the patient breathes it in at home.

Common collocations
  • nebulise the solution
  • nebulise liquid into mist
  • nebulise the drug
  • nebulise saline
Synonyms
  • aerosolise

    very close in meaning; focuses on creating an aerosol suspension of fine particles

  • atomise

    focuses on breaking liquid into tiny droplets; used in physics, engineering, and chemistry

Antonyms
  • condense

    opposite process — turning vapour or mist back into liquid form

Grammar Patterns

nebulise + noun + into + noun

nebulise + liquid

Usage Note

Describes the mechanical or physical process — how the device works — rather than the act of treating a patient. Typically used with the device or equipment as the subject.

Common Mistakes

The doctor vaporised the medicine before giving it to the child.
The doctor nebulised the medicine before giving it to the child.
'vaporise' means turning into gas (steam), not a mist of liquid droplets.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All three words describe creating a fine spray or mist from a liquid, but they differ in context and precision. 'Nebulise' is specific to medicine — it means administering a drug through a nebuliser so a patient breathes it in. 'Aerosolise' is broader, used when a liquid is dispersed as fine particles in gas for medical, industrial, or environmental purposes. 'Atomise' focuses on the mechanical process of breaking liquid into very small droplets, common in engineering contexts such as fuel injection or spray painting. 'Vaporise' is NOT a true synonym: it means converting a liquid into a gas (vapour), not a suspended mist of droplets. A doctor nebulises a child with asthma to open their airways; a spray nozzle atomises perfume; heat vaporises water into steam.

aerosoliseatomise ↗vaporise ↗

Etymology

LatinEnglish

Derived from 'nebula' (Latin for 'mist' or 'cloud') combined with the verb-forming suffix '-ise'. The medical device 'nebuliser' was invented in the mid-19th century and named for its ability to create a fine mist resembling a small cloud. The verb form 'nebulise' followed as a back-formation from 'nebuliser'.

First known use

1867

1867, in the meaning defined above