ranula

R1A1N1U1L1A1
UK/ˈɹan.jʊl.ə/US/ˈɹæn.jəl.ə/

noun

A tumor or swelling located in the floor of the mouth under the tongue; specifically a bluish, domed mucocele which is associated with an obstruction of the sublingual salivary gland.

OriginLatin rānula →
First used 15th c.Scrabble 6
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Meanings

nounranula (plural ranulae or ranulas)

plural ranulae · plural ranulas

  1. medicineA tumor or swelling located in the floor of the mouth under the tongue; specifically a bluish, domed mucocele which is associated with an obstruction of the sublingual salivary gland.First known use 15th c.

Origin

  1. Latinrānula“a little frog, a tadpole; a little swelling on the tongue of cattle”
  2. Englishranula

Late Middle English, coined by French physician and surgeon Guy de Chauliac: borrowed from Latin rānula (“a little frog, a tadpole; a little swelling on the tongue of cattle”).

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

German Froschgeschwulst
  • FroschgeschwulstTranslations

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Narulaanural
Cite this entry
APA

ranula. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ranula

MLA

“ranula.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ranula. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ranula,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ranula.

Source: ranula on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.