palatal
Americanadjective
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Anatomy. of or relating to the palate.
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Phonetics. articulated with the blade of the tongue held close to or touching the hard palate.
noun
adjective
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Also called: palatine. of or relating to the palate
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phonetics of, relating to, or denoting a speech sound articulated with the blade of the tongue touching the hard palate
noun
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Also called: palatine. the bony plate that forms the palate
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phonetics a palatal speech sound, such as the semivowel (j)
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of palatal
From French, dating back to 1820–30; see origin at palate, -al 1
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.
The tuatara also maintains large palatal teeth, which further highlight its links to early reptiles.
From Science Daily • Nov. 30, 2025
The palatal organ of fish such as minnows, carp, and catfish can also be a bundle of muscle, but biologists are split on whether it should be considered a tongue.
From Science Magazine • May 24, 2023
Scientists first identified this palatal organ in the monster ghost shark in 2015.
From National Geographic • Jun. 12, 2017
In addition, the buccal glands in the cheeks, palatal glands in the palate, and lingual glands in the tongue help ensure that all areas of the mouth are supplied with adequate saliva.
From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013
Measurements of the Las Adjuntas specimen are: total length, 88; tail, 39; hind foot, 13; palatal length, 7.2; maxillary tooth-row, 6.4; maxillary breadth, 4.9; least interorbital breadth, 3.6.
From Taxonomy and Distribution of Some American Shrews by Findley, James S
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.
