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philtrum

American  
[fil-truhm] / ˈfɪl trəm /

noun

philtra plural
  1. Anatomy. the vertical groove on the surface of the upper lip, below the septum of the nose.

  2. a philter.


philtrum British  
/ ˈfɪltrəm /

noun

  1. the indentation above the upper lip

"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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of philtrum

1600–10; < Latin: love philter < Greek phíltron love philter, dimple in upper lip. See phil-, -tron

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.

See Examples For:

He said the latter has certain physical traits that pediatricians can recognize such as thin lips, narrow eyelid openings and a smooth philtrum — the ridge between the nose and mouth.

From Seattle Times Sep. 13, 2022

Are they the house’s philtrum, that bit of facial real estate between the nose and the lips?

From Washington Post Sep. 12, 2021

Rough edges frame the philtrum, chin and bits of cheek around her lips, and the piece rests on a spindly plaster stem that descends a couple of inches to a broader foot.

From New York Times Dec. 4, 2019

And in Movember, all of these issues come to the fore, where so many guys think they are cute and clever for 30 days while they get a little fuzziness around the philtrum.

From Time Nov. 5, 2014

This philtrum was the one which produced all the appearance of death.

From Sidonia, the Sorceress : the Supposed Destroyer of the Whole Reigning Ducal House of Pomerania — Volume 1 by Meinhold, Wilhelm

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