cleft lip

American  

noun

1. a congenitally deformed lip, usually the upper one, in which there is a vertical fissure that extends into one or both nostrils.

2. the deformity itself.

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cleft lip British  

noun

1. a congenital split in the upper lip, often associated with a cleft palate

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cleft lip Scientific  

/ klĕft /

1. A congenital deformity characterized by a vertical cleft or pair of clefts in the upper lip, with or without involvement of the palate.

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cleft lip Cultural  

1. A congenital defect in which the upper lip is not properly fused together, so that a narrow crack or fissure splits the lip. It can be repaired through plastic surgery.

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Sensitive Note

See harelip.

Example Sentences

Waiting lists for gynae mesh, children's squints, children's feeding tubes and cleft lip will also be tackled.

From BBC

Worldwide, over one-third of all congenital anomalies relate to the development of a child's head or facial bones -- their craniofacial features -- a common example being having a cleft lip and/or palate.

From Science Daily

In humans and laboratory mice, mutations to Ripk4 can alter the skin to create patagiumlike structures and cleft lips, among other issues.

From Scientific American

Michael K is born into poverty with a cleft lip and judged to have, in Coetzee's words, "a mind that was not quick".

From BBC

It’s closed or expelled around 3,000 nongovernmental organizations, ranging from Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity to Operation Smile, which helps patients with cleft lips or palates.

From Washington Post