cleft palate

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.

cleft palate

noun

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

cleft palate

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of cleft palate¹

First recorded in 1840–50

Example Sentences

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

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Take lamotrigine, for instance: In the early 2000s, animal trials indicated that it could increase conditions like cleft palate, but later studies found no such link, reassuring clinicians.

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About half of all living bat species have cleft palates—a feature that may be tied to bat echolocation.

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Exposure to the poison can cause many diseases, from 20 forms of cancer to Type 2 diabetes and serious birth defects like cleft palates and club feet.

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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.

Read more on New York Times