soft palate
noun
: the fold at the back of the hard palate that partially separates the mouth from the pharynx
Examples of soft palate in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Sniffing strength depends on the position of the soft palate, the tissue in the back of the mouth that controls airflow through the nasal passage.
—
IEEE Spectrum, 10 Aug. 2010
About a quarter of the nondisabled volunteers screened for the study didn’t have enough control over their soft palates to use the device.
—IEEE Spectrum, 10 Aug. 2010
Palatal petechiae can be lesions or bruising on the soft palate of a person's mouth.
—Reven Widener, Health, 31 May 2023
The soft palate could be redundant and low-hanging and basically blocking the airway.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 29 June 2023
The soft palate is the back top part of the mouth connected to the hard palate.
—Reven Widener, Health, 31 May 2023
Carlos had three red flags in his medical history: congenital heart disease, developmental delay and a likely problem with his soft palate.
—Mark Cohen, Discover Magazine, 28 Aug. 2014
It was tested by manipulating a tongue depressor around the uvula, soft palate, and pharyngeal vault.
—Ncbi Rofl, Discover Magazine, 19 Dec. 2010
Doctors either use lasers to scar and toughen the tissue in the soft palate or insert plastic pillars within the palate that heal over.
—Paul Kita, Men's Health, 15 Dec. 2022
IEEE Spectrum, 10 Aug. 2010
About a quarter of the nondisabled volunteers screened for the study didn’t have enough control over their soft palates to use the device.
—IEEE Spectrum, 10 Aug. 2010
Palatal petechiae can be lesions or bruising on the soft palate of a person's mouth.
—Reven Widener, Health, 31 May 2023
The soft palate could be redundant and low-hanging and basically blocking the airway.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 29 June 2023
The soft palate is the back top part of the mouth connected to the hard palate.
—Reven Widener, Health, 31 May 2023
Carlos had three red flags in his medical history: congenital heart disease, developmental delay and a likely problem with his soft palate.
—Mark Cohen, Discover Magazine, 28 Aug. 2014
It was tested by manipulating a tongue depressor around the uvula, soft palate, and pharyngeal vault.
—Ncbi Rofl, Discover Magazine, 19 Dec. 2010
Doctors either use lasers to scar and toughen the tissue in the soft palate or insert plastic pillars within the palate that heal over.
—Paul Kita, Men's Health, 15 Dec. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'soft palate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1749, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near soft palate
Cite this Entry
“Soft palate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/soft%20palate. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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Medical Definition
soft palate
noun
: the membranous and muscular fold suspended from the posterior margin of the hard palate and partially separating the mouth cavity from the pharynx
More from Merriam-Webster on soft palate
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about soft palate
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