palate
[ pal-it ]
/ ˈpæl ɪt /
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noun
Anatomy. the roof of the mouth, consisting of an anterior bony portion (hard palate ) and a posterior muscular portion (soft palate, orvelum ) that separate the oral cavity from the nasal cavity.
the sense of taste: a dinner to delight the palate.
intellectual or aesthetic taste; mental appreciation.
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Origin of palate
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English palat, from Latin palātum “roof of the mouth”
OTHER WORDS FROM palate
pal·ate·less, adjectivepal·ate·like, adjectiveWords nearby palate
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for palate
British Dictionary definitions for palate
palate
/ (ˈpælɪt) /
noun
the roof of the mouth, separating the oral and nasal cavitiesSee hard palate, soft palate Related adjective: palatine
the sense of tasteshe had no palate for the wine
relish or enjoyment
botany (in some two-lipped corollas) the projecting part of the lower lip that closes the opening of the corolla
Word Origin for palate
C14: from Latin palātum, perhaps of Etruscan origin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Medical definitions for palate
palate
[ păl′ĭt ]
n.
The bony and muscular partition between the oral and nasal cavities; the roof of the mouth.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Scientific definitions for palate
palate
[ păl′ĭt ]
The roof of the mouth in vertebrate animals, separating the mouth from the passages of the nose.♦ The bony part of the palate is called the hard palate. ♦ A soft, flexible, rear portion of the palate, called the soft palate, is present in mammals only and serves to close off the mouth from the nose during swallowing.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural definitions for palate
palate
[ (pal-uht) ]
The roof of the mouth. The palate separates the mouth from the nasal cavity.
notes for palate
It is sometimes said that a person has a “cultivated palate” if he or she has a discerning taste for food.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.