cleft palate

American  

noun

1. a congenital defect of the palate in which a longitudinal fissure exists in the roof of the mouth, often associated with a cleft lip.

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cleft palate British  

noun

1. a congenital crack or fissure in the midline of the hard palate, often associated with a harelip

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cleft palate Scientific  

1. Incomplete closure of the palate during development of an embryo, resulting in a split along part or all of the roof of the mouth.

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Etymology

Origin of cleft palate

First recorded in 1840–50

Example Sentences

Habermas was born with a cleft palate that required repeated operations as a child, an experience he later said helped shape his thinking about language and communication.

From BBC • Mar. 14, 2026

Reported problems include spina bifida, cleft palate, and a range of intellectual, communication, behavior and memory disorders.

From Science Daily • Nov. 28, 2025

“It certainly happened to me,” said Schimberg, who has a cleft palate.

From Salon • Sep. 21, 2024

By 12, he’d endured 30 separate surgeries to correct a cleft palate and lip, to insert a prosthetic eye and to reroute a blood vessel in his brain.

From New York Times • Feb. 28, 2023

“What he said was ‘facial issues,’ and you just assumed that he meant cleft palate.

From "Auggie & Me" by R. J. Palacio