harelip

American  

[hair-lip] / ˈhɛərˌlɪp /

noun

1. Usually Offensive. cleft lip.

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harelip British  

/ ˈhɛəˌlɪp /

noun

1. a congenital cleft or fissure in the midline of the upper lip, resembling the cleft upper lip of a hare, often occurring with cleft palate Preferred form cleft lip

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Sensitivity

The term harelip is usually perceived as insulting because it compares the deformity in humans to the normal cleft lip of a hare. The accepted term for this medical condition is cleft lip.

Other Word Forms

• harelipped
  adjective

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Etymology

Origin of harelip

First recorded in 1560–70; hare + lip

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

harelip

Their romance is more awkward than whirlwind as he fears she will dislike him because of his severe harelip and recurring nightmares.

From Salon ● Nov. 4, 2021

Jane Click’s son, Billy, had a friend, a shy child with a harelip.

From The New Yorker ● Dec. 3, 2018

She can’t see his harelip and understands the way he speaks because she listens intently, so he lets her in, overcoming his shyness.

From The Guardian ● Aug. 1, 2015

She admired Malthus but could not understand him; he had a harelip and a cleft palate.

From Time Magazine Archive

The signs had been there for me to see all along; they came flying back at me now: Baba hiring Dr. Kumar to fix Hassan’s harelip.

From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini

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