cleft palate

noun

: congenital fissure of the roof of the mouth

Examples of cleft palate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There’s one story of a boy with a cleft palate who adopted a dog that had a cleft palate too. — Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 11 Apr. 2025

Two-month-old Onyxx Cooley was born with a cleft palate but apparently otherwise healthy. — Audrey Dutton, ProPublica, 26 Aug. 2025

He was born with a cleft palate and underwent several operations to address the condition. — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 15 June 2026

The organization provides free surgeries for children with cleft palate and similar birth defects. — Elizabeth Marie Himchak, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1847, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for cleft palate

• alate
• ballot
• fallot
• mallet
• palette
• pallet
• shallot

Kids Definition

cleft palate

noun

: a split in the roof of the mouth that occurs as a birth defect

Medical Definition

cleft palate

noun

: congenital fissure of the roof of the mouth produced by failure of the two maxillae to unite during embryonic development and often associated with cleft lip

called also palatoschisis