obturator

American  

[ahb-ter-ayt-er] / ˈɑb tərˌeɪt ər /

noun

plural

obturators

1. Anatomy. either of the muscles, external and internal, covering the opening (obturator foramen) in the pelvis, formed by the pubis and ischium.

2. any of various devices used in surgery and dentistry to close or fill openings in the body, especially a prosthetic device used to close a gap in the palate.

3. Ordnance. a device, such as a cap or pad, to seal the breech of a gun during firing so as to prevent gas from escaping.

4. Botany. a tissue growth that closes an opening, such as one found in the ovary of some plants near the micropyle of an ovule.

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Other Word Forms

• transobturator
  adjective

Example Sentences

The Obturator Externus ariseth from the outward Circumference of the same Hole of one Ischion, and is terminated in the side of the other near the great Trochanter.

From The Compleat Surgeon or, the whole Art of Surgery explain'd in a most familiar Method. by Le Clerc, Charles Gabriel

Obturator and internal circumflex with anastomotica and superior internal articular.

From A Manual of the Operations of Surgery For the Use of Senior Students, House Surgeons, and Junior Practitioners by Bell, Joseph