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oral
[ awr-uhl ]
/ ˈɔr əl /
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adjective
noun
an oral examination in a school, college, or university, given especially to a candidate for an advanced degree.
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Origin of oral
First recorded in 1615–25; from Latin ōr- (stem of ōs ) “mouth” (cognate with Sanskrit āsya ) + -al1
usage note for oral
1. See verbal.
OTHER WORDS FROM oral
WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH oral
oral , auralWords nearby oral
oracular, oracy, orad, Oradea, ora et labora, oral, oral biology, oral cavity, oral contraceptive, orale, oral eroticism
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use oral in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for oral
oral
/ (ˈɔːrəl, ˈɒrəl) /
adjective
noun
an examination in which the questions and answers are spoken rather than written
Derived forms of oral
orally, adverbWord Origin for oral
C17: from Late Latin orālis, from Latin ōs face
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Medical definitions for oral
oral
[ ôr′əl ]
adj.
Of or relating to the mouth.
Used in or taken through the mouth.
Of or relating to the first stage of psychosexual development in psychoanalytic theory, in which the mouth is the focus of exploration and pleasure.
Other words from oral
o′ral•ly adv.The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Scientific definitions for oral
oral
[ ôr′əl ]
Relating to or involving the mouth.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.