foramen

noun

fo·​ra·​men fə-ˈrā-mən How to pronounce foramen (audio)
plural foramina fə-ˈra-mə-nə How to pronounce foramen (audio) or foramens fə-ˈrā-mənz How to pronounce foramen (audio)
: a small opening, perforation, or orifice : fenestra
foraminal adjective
or foraminous

Examples of foramen in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web This posture maximizes the narrowing of the nerve-root opening, known as a foramen. H Lee Kagan, Discover Magazine, 2 Apr. 2015 Seymour found that in terms of foramen size, monitor lizards clustered with mammals. Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 6 July 2011 Nonetheless, with a bit more data, the size of the foramen could be an easy way of assessing the lifestyle of an animal by doing little more than measuring a hole in its bone. Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 6 July 2011 One such trait is the form of an opening on the tongue side of the lower jaw (mandible) called the mandibular foramen. David W. Frayer, Scientific American, 1 Feb. 2022 In most Neandertals, the opening is covered by a bar of bone and is called a horizontal-oval (H-O) foramen. David W. Frayer, Scientific American, 1 Feb. 2022 In modern humans, the upper portion of the foramen is commonly V-shaped. David W. Frayer, Scientific American, 1 Feb. 2022 Another view of the monitor lizard skull fossil fragment, on which both the parietal and pineal foramina are visible (in yellow). Amina Khan, latimes.com, 3 Apr. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'foramen.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin foramin-, foramen, from forare to bore — more at bore

First Known Use

1672, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of foramen was in 1672

Dictionary Entries Near foramen

Cite this Entry

“Foramen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foramen. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

foramen

noun
fo·​ra·​men fə-ˈrā-mən How to pronounce foramen (audio)
plural foramina -ˈram-ə-nə How to pronounce foramen (audio) or foramens -ˈrā-mənz How to pronounce foramen (audio)
: a small opening, perforation, or orifice : fenestra sense 1
foraminal adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on foramen

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!