soft palate
noun
See under palate(def 1).
Origin of soft palate
First recorded in 1805–15
Words nearby soft palate
soft line,
soft loan,
soft money,
soft on,
soft option,
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soft paste,
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Definition for soft palate (2 of 2)
palate
[ pal-it ]
/ ˈpæl ɪt /
noun
Anatomy.
the roof of the mouth, consisting of an anterior bony portion (hard palate) and a posterior muscular portion (soft palate) 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.
Origin of palate
1350–1400; Middle English
palat < Latin
palātum roof of the mouth
OTHER WORDS FROM palate
pal·ate·less, adjective pal·ate·like, adjectiveExample sentences from the Web for soft palate
Speech is formed by three agents: the lips, the tongue and the soft-palate.
Delsarte System of Oratory |VariousThe soft-palate is a structure which hangs from the posterior edge of the hard-palate.
The Child-Voice in Singing |Francis E. HowardIn volume, by lowering the larynx, elevating the soft-palate and hollowing the tongue.
Delsarte System of Oratory |Various
British Dictionary definitions for soft palate (1 of 2)
palate
/ (ˈpælɪt) /
noun
the roof of the mouth, separating the oral and nasal cavities
See hard palate, soft palate Related adjective: palatine
the sense of taste
she 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
British Dictionary definitions for soft palate (2 of 2)
soft palate
noun
the posterior fleshy portion of the roof of the mouth. It forms a movable muscular flap that seals off the nasopharynx during swallowing and speech
Medical definitions for soft palate (1 of 2)
palate
[ păl′ĭt ]
n.
The bony and muscular partition between the oral and nasal cavities; the roof of the mouth.
Medical definitions for soft palate (2 of 2)
soft palate
n.
The movable fold, consisting of muscular fibers enclosed in mucous membrane, that is suspended from the rear of the hard palate and closes off the nasal cavity from the oral cavity during swallowing or sucking.
Scientific definitions for soft palate (1 of 2)
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.
Scientific definitions for soft palate (2 of 2)
soft palate
See under palate.
Cultural definitions for soft 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.