oral

¹oral

adjective \ˈȯr-əl, ˈär-\

Definition of ORAL

1

a : uttered by the mouth or in words : spoken <oral traditions>

b : using speech or the lips especially in teaching the deaf

2

a : of, given through, or involving the mouth <oral health> <an oral vaccine>

b : being on or relating to the same surface as the mouth

3

a : of, relating to, or characterized by the first stage of psychosexual development in psychoanalytic theory during which libidinal gratification is derived from intake (as of food), by sucking, and later by biting

b : of, relating to, or characterized by personality traits of passive dependency and aggressiveness

— oral·i·ty \ȯ-ˈra-lə-tē, ō-\ noun

— oral·ly \ˈȯr-ə-lē, ˈär-\ adverb

Examples of ORAL

1. She practices good oral hygiene by brushing her teeth at least twice a day.
2. As part of her oral examination, she had to recite the names of all the presidents.

Origin of ORAL

Latin or-, os mouth; akin to Old Norse ōss mouth of a river, Sanskrit ās mouth

First Known Use: 1628

Related to ORAL

Synonyms

vocal, spoken, uttered, voiced

Antonyms

nonvocal

Related Words

articulated, enunciated, pronounced, sonant; breathed, chirped, drawled, gasped, intoned, mouthed, mumbled, murmured, muttered, purred, shouted, spluttered, sputtered, squeaked, whispered

Near Antonyms

inarticulate; mute, quiet, silent; unexpressed, unsaid, unspoken, unuttered, unvoiced; surd, voiceless

Other Anatomy Terms

bilateral symmetry, carotid, cartilage, dorsal, entrails, prehensile, renal, solar plexus, supine, thoracic, ventral

Rhymes with ORAL

aural, chloral, choral, coral, floral, laurel, moral, quarrel, sorrel

²oral

noun

Definition of ORAL

: an oral examination —usually used in plural

First Known Use of ORAL

1876

Other Education Terms

baccalaureate, colloquium, corequisite, dissertation, monograph, pedant, practicum, survey course, thesis

Oral

geographical name \ȯ-ˈräl\

Definition of ORAL

city W Kazakhstan on Ural River pop 214,000

Variants of ORAL

Oral or Uralsk \ü-ˈrȧlsk, yu̇-ˈralsk\

oral

adjective \ˈōr-əl, ˈȯr-, ˈär-\   (Medical Dictionary)

Medical Definition of ORAL

1

a : of, relating to, or involving the mouth : buccal <the oral mucous membrane> b : given or taken through or by way of the mouth <an oral vaccine> <an oral suspension of a drug> c : acting on the mouth <oral diseases>

2

: emphasizing lipreading and the development of vocal expression in teaching the deaf—compare manual 2

3

a : of, relating to, or characterized by the first stage of psychosexual development in psychoanalytic theory during which libidinal gratification is derived from intake (as of food), by sucking, and later by biting b : of, relating to, or characterized by personality traits of passive dependence and aggressiveness—compare anal 2, genital 3, phallic 2

—oral·i·ty \ȯ-ˈral-ət-ē, ō-\ (audio pronunciation) noun, plural ; oral·i·ties

—oral·ly adverb