oral

American  

[awr-uhl] / ˈɔr əl /

adjective

1. uttered by the mouth; spoken.

   oral testimony.

2. of, using, or transmitted by speech.

   oral methods of language teaching; oral traditions.

3. of, relating to, or involving the mouth.

   the oral cavity.

4. done, taken, or administered through the mouth.

   an oral dose of medicine.

5. Phonetics. articulated with none of the voice issuing through the nose, as the normal English vowels and the consonants b and v.

6. Psychoanalysis.

   1. of or relating to the earliest phase of infantile psychosexual development, lasting from birth to one year of age or longer, during which pleasure is obtained from eating, sucking, and biting.

   2. of or relating to the sublimation of feelings experienced during the oral stage of childhood.

      oral anxiety.

   3. of or relating to gratification by stimulation of the lips or membranes of the mouth, as in sucking, eating, or talking

7. Zoology. pertaining to that surface of polyps and marine animals that contains the mouth and tentacles.

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noun

1. an oral examination in a school, college, or university, given especially to a candidate for an advanced degree.

oral British  

/ ˈɒrəl, ˈɔːrəl /

adjective

1. spoken or verbal

   an oral agreement

2. relating to, affecting, or for use in the mouth

   an oral thermometer

3. of or relating to the surface of an animal, such as a jellyfish, on which the mouth is situated

4. denoting a drug to be taken by mouth Compare parenteral

   an oral contraceptive

5. of, relating to, or using spoken words

6. phonetics pronounced with the soft palate in a raised position completely closing the nasal cavity and allowing air to pass out only through the mouth

7. psychoanal

   1. relating to a stage of psychosexual development during which the child's interest is concentrated on the mouth

   2. denoting personality traits, such as dependence, selfishness, and aggression, resulting from fixation at the oral stage Compare anal genital phallic

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noun

1. an examination in which the questions and answers are spoken rather than written

oral Scientific  

/ ôr′əl /

1. Relating to or involving the mouth.

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Usage

See verbal.

Other Word Forms

• nonoral adjective
• orality noun
• orally adverb
• postoral adjective
• suboral adjective
• unoral adjective

Etymology

Origin of oral

First recorded in 1615–25; from Latin ōr- (stem of ōs ) “mouth” (cognate with Sanskrit āsya ) + -al ¹

Example Sentences

Together, they identified a biological process showing how substances produced by oral bacteria in the gut may help set Parkinson's disease in motion.

From Science Daily

The Supreme Court heard oral arguments in early November after the administration appealed decisions made by lower courts that found the tariffs illegal in cases brought by toymaker Learning Resources and wine importer V.O.S.

From Barron's

The current recommended therapy relies on two antibiotics: an injection of ceftriaxone followed by an oral dose of azithromycin.

From Science Daily

Researchers collected blood samples during four clinic visits and performed oral glucose tolerance tests to assess glucose and fat metabolism.

From Science Daily

“We think injectables will be the preferred delivery method for highest and fastest weight loss, and oral could supplement injectables with maintenance dosing,” Knight says.

From Barron's