1
: an opening in the septum between the two atria of the heart that is normally present only in the fetus
During fetal life, this small tunnel, the foramen ovale, allows blood to bypass the lungs … . Yet in as many as 10 percent of people, physicians now estimate, the hole remains open, or patent.—
Richard Saltus
Richard Saltus2
: an oval opening in the greater wing of the cranial sphenoid bone for passage of a nerve supplying the mouth and jaw
Examples of foramen ovale in a Sentence
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Doctors later discovered that Figari’s stroke was caused by a previously undetected congenital heart defect called a patent foramen ovale (PFO), in which a hole between the left and right chambers of the heart is left open as opposed to closing after birth, according to Penn Medicine.
—Vanessa Etienne, People.com, 15 Apr. 2025
He’s put in more than 1,000 miles since his surgery six months ago to fix his heart condition, known as patent foramen ovale.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Jan. 2024
Doctors later confirmed that Terry had a patent foramen ovale (or PFO), which is a hole between the left and right atria (upper chambers) of the heart that didn’t close naturally after birth.
—Escher Walcott, Peoplemag, 14 Aug. 2023
The model recently reflected on the one-year anniversary of her hospitalization after experiencing stroke-like symptoms due to her patent foramen ovale (PFO) diagnosis.
—Chelsey Sanchez, Harper's BAZAAR, 13 Mar. 2023
Research does seem to show that a heart condition, patent foramen ovale or PFO, increases a person’s risk of having migraine with aura, says Dr. Parikh, but the reason why is unknown.
—Kaitlyn Pirie, Good Housekeeping, 25 July 2022
After birth, the foramen ovale usually closes on its own.
—Serena Coady, SELF, 28 Apr. 2022
Those who don’t fuse end up with a PFO, or patent foramen ovale.
—Tony Dajer, Discover Magazine, 1 Oct. 2015
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Vanessa Etienne, People.com, 15 Apr. 2025
He’s put in more than 1,000 miles since his surgery six months ago to fix his heart condition, known as patent foramen ovale.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Jan. 2024
Doctors later confirmed that Terry had a patent foramen ovale (or PFO), which is a hole between the left and right atria (upper chambers) of the heart that didn’t close naturally after birth.
—Escher Walcott, Peoplemag, 14 Aug. 2023
The model recently reflected on the one-year anniversary of her hospitalization after experiencing stroke-like symptoms due to her patent foramen ovale (PFO) diagnosis.
—Chelsey Sanchez, Harper's BAZAAR, 13 Mar. 2023
Research does seem to show that a heart condition, patent foramen ovale or PFO, increases a person’s risk of having migraine with aura, says Dr. Parikh, but the reason why is unknown.
—Kaitlyn Pirie, Good Housekeeping, 25 July 2022
After birth, the foramen ovale usually closes on its own.
—Serena Coady, SELF, 28 Apr. 2022
Those who don’t fuse end up with a PFO, or patent foramen ovale.
—Tony Dajer, Discover Magazine, 1 Oct. 2015
Cite this Entry
“Foramen ovale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foramen%20ovale. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
foramen ovale
noun
foramen ova·le
-ō-ˈva-(ˌ)lē 
-ˈvā-
-ˈvä-
-ˈvā-
-ˈvä-
1
: an opening in the septum between the two atria of the heart that is normally present only in the fetus
2
: an oval opening in the greater wing of the sphenoid for passage of the mandibular nerve
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