oral

[ awr-uhl, ohr- ]

/ ˈɔr əl, ˈoʊr- /

adjective

uttered by the mouth; spoken: oral testimony.

of, using, or transmitted by speech: oral methods of language teaching; oral traditions.

of, relating to, or involving the mouth: the oral cavity.

done, taken, or administered through the mouth: an oral dose of medicine.

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

Psychoanalysis.

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.
of or relating to the sublimation of feelings experienced during the oral stage of childhood: oral anxiety.
of or relating to gratification by stimulation of the lips or membranes of the mouth, as in sucking, eating, or talking

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

noun

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

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a cylindrical wooden container with slightly bulging sides.

Worn down by dullness, tedious repetition.

unproductive; unfruitful

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Origin of oral

1615–25; <Latin ōr- (stem of ōs) mouth (cognate with Sanskrit āsya) + -al¹

words often confused with oral

1. See verbal.

OTHER WORDS FROM oral

o·ral·i·ty, nouno·ral·ly, adverbnon·o·ral, adjectivenon·o·ral·ly, adverb

post·o·ral, adjectivesub·o·ral, adjectiveun·o·ral, adjectiveun·o·ral·ly, adverb

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH oral

oral , aural.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for oral

For example, A orally promises to work for B as sales agent for three years.
Cyclopedia of Commerce, Accountancy, Business Administration, v. 3|Various
However, since this is not a screens-down inquiry, I'll give you—orally, at least—the benefit of the doubt.
The Galaxy Primes|Edward Elmer Smith
He instructed them orally five hours a day, till they were eager for astronomy, history, and biography.
Lives of Poor Boys Who Became Famous|Sarah K. Bolton
He gave me a written statement saying something along the line of what I have said he mentioned to me orally.
Warren Commission (5 of 26): Hearings Vol. V (of 15)|The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy

You may remember that the same cause, as I explained to you orally, prevented my delivering them to you in person.
Military Reminiscences of the Civil War V2|Jacob Dolson Cox

British Dictionary definitions for oral

oral

/ (ˈɔːrəl, ˈɒrəl) /

adjective

spoken or verbalan oral agreement

relating to, affecting, or for use in the mouthan oral thermometer

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

denoting a drug to be taken by mouthan oral contraceptive Compare parenteral

of, relating to, or using spoken words

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

psychoanal

relating to a stage of psychosexual development during which the child's interest is concentrated on the mouth
denoting personality traits, such as dependence, selfishness, and aggression, resulting from fixation at the oral stageCompare anal (def. 2), genital (def. 2), phallic (def. 2)

noun

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

Derived forms of oral

orally, adverb

Word 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.

Scientific definitions for oral

oral

[ ôr′əl ]

Relating to or involving the mouth.

MEANINGS

WORD GAMES

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WRITING

WORD OF THE DAY

oral

adjective

noun

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Origin of oral

words often confused with oral

OTHER WORDS FROM oral

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH oral

Example sentences from the Web for oral

British Dictionary definitions for oral

adjective

noun

Derived forms of oral

Word Origin for oral

Medical definitions for oral

adj.

Other words from oral

Scientific definitions for oral

MEANINGS

WORD GAMES

LEARN

WRITING

WORD OF THE DAY

oral

adjective

noun

QUIZZES

QUIZ YOURSELF ON THESE WORDS FROM BROWN GIRL DREAMING!

Origin of oral

words often confused with oral

OTHER WORDS FROM oral

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH oral

Words related to oral

Example sentences from the Web for oral

British Dictionary definitions for oral

adjective

noun

Derived forms of oral

Word Origin for oral

Medical definitions for oral

adj.

Other words from oral

Scientific definitions for oral