foramen
Americannoun
noun
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An opening or short passage, especially in the body.
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◆ The large opening in the base of the skull through which the spinal cord passes is called the foramen magnum (măg|||PRIMARY_STRESS|||nəm).
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◆ The opening in the septum between the right and left atria of the heart, present in the fetus but usually closed soon after birth, is the foramen ovale (ō-văl|||PRIMARY_STRESS|||ē, -vā|||PRIMARY_STRESS|||lē, -vä|||PRIMARY_STRESS|||-).
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of foramen
1665–75; < Latin forāmen hole, opening, equivalent to forā ( re ) to bore 2 “pierce” + -men resultative noun suffix
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A patent foramen ovale - or PFO - which is a small hole between the top two chambers of the heart.
From BBC • Jan. 1, 2025
It had a prominent pineal foramen -- a hole in the top of its head that many lizard species use to sense sunlight and judge the length of daylight hours.
From Science Daily • Nov. 29, 2023
The shape of the opening at the base of its skull—the foramen magnum—suggested Sahelanthropus balanced its head on top of a vertical neck, similar to upright walkers such as today’s humans.
From Science Magazine • Aug. 24, 2022
In response to this pressure change, the flow of blood temporarily reverses direction through the foramen ovale, moving from the left to the right atrium, and blocking the shunt with two flaps of tissue.
From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013
The basisphenoid, which is fused with the parasphenoid, also forms a small part of the posteroventral margin of the optic foramen.
From A Revision of Snakes of the Genus Conophis (Family Colubridae, from Middle America) by Wellman, John
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
