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View synonyms for

oral

[ awr-uhl ]

adjective

  1. uttered by the mouth; spoken:

    oral testimony.

  2. of, using, or transmitted by speech:

    oral methods of language teaching; oral traditions.

  3. of, relating to, or involving the mouth:

    the oral cavity.

  4. done, taken, or administered through the mouth:

    an oral dose of medicine.

  5. Phonetics. articulated with none of the voice issuing through the nose, as the normal English vowels and the consonants b and v.
  6. Psychoanalysis.
    1. of or relating to the earliest phase of infantile psychosexual development, lasting from birth to one year of age or longer, during which pleasure is obtained from eating, sucking, and biting.
    2. of or relating to the sublimation of feelings experienced during the oral stage of childhood:

      oral anxiety.

    3. of or relating to gratification by stimulation of the lips or membranes of the mouth, as in sucking, eating, or talking
  7. Zoology. pertaining to that surface of polyps and marine animals that contains the mouth and tentacles.


noun

  1. an oral examination in a school, college, or university, given especially to a candidate for an advanced degree.

oral

/ ˈɒrəl; ˈɔːrəl /

adjective

  1. spoken or verbal

    an oral agreement

  2. relating to, affecting, or for use in the mouth

    an oral thermometer

  3. of or relating to the surface of an animal, such as a jellyfish, on which the mouth is situated
  4. denoting a drug to be taken by mouth Compare parenteral

    an oral contraceptive

  5. of, relating to, or using spoken words
  6. phonetics pronounced with the soft palate in a raised position completely closing the nasal cavity and allowing air to pass out only through the mouth
  7. psychoanal
    1. relating to a stage of psychosexual development during which the child's interest is concentrated on the mouth
    2. denoting personality traits, such as dependence, selfishness, and aggression, resulting from fixation at the oral stage Compare anal genital phallic
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. an examination in which the questions and answers are spoken rather than written
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

oral

  1. Relating to or involving the mouth.
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Usage Note

See verbal.
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Derived Forms

  • ˈǰ, adverb
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Other Word Forms

  • ···ٲ noun
  • ·· adverb
  • ԴDz·· adjective
  • Dz·· adjective
  • ܲ·· adjective
  • ܲ·· adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of oral1

First recorded in 1615–25; from Latin ō- (stem of ō ) “mouth” (cognate with Sanskrit ) + -al 1
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Word History and Origins

Origin of oral1

C17: from Late Latin ǰ, from Latin ō face
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

The method - called oral immunotherapy - is already proven to work for allergies to pollen, wasp and bee stings.

From

The Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Tuesday for Mahmoud v.

From

The Autry Museum’s upcoming exhibition, “Black Cowboys: An American Story,” brings the untold tales of iconic figures into full view through a mix of rare artifacts, photographs, oral histories and film.

From

Poor oral health can affect people's ability to eat, speak and socialise normally, and can be linked to heart problems and infections if bacteria gets into the blood stream.

From

In their oral arguments, the attorneys refrained from repeating some caustic language from their written briefs.

From

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ora et laboraoral contraceptive