fo·ra·men

[fuh-rey-muhn]
noun, plural fo·ram·i·na [-ram-uh-nuh] .
an opening, orifice, or short passage, as in a bone or in the integument of the ovule of a plant.

Origin:
1665–75; < Latin forāmen hole, opening, equivalent to forā(re) to bore, pierce + -men resultative noun suffix

fo·ram·i·nal [fuh-ram-uh-nl] , adjective
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World English Dictionary
foramen (fɒˈreɪmɛn) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n , pl -ramina, -ramens
a natural hole, esp one in a bone through which nerves and blood vessels pass
 
[C17: from Latin, from forāre to bore, pierce]
 
foraminal
 
adj

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
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00:10
Foramen is always a great word to know.
So is trochanter. Does it mean:
the top of the head:
either of two knobs at the top of the femur, the greater on the outside and the lesser on the inside, serving for the attachment of muscles between the thigh and pelvis.
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

foramen
pl. foramina, from L. foramen, from forare to pierce (see bore).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

foramen fo·ra·men (fə-rā'mən)
n. pl. fo·ra·mens or fo·ram·i·na (-rām'ə-nə)
An aperture or perforation through a bone or a membranous structure.


fo·ram'i·nal (-rām'ə-nəl) or fo·ram'i·nous (-nəs) adj.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
foramen   (fə-rā'mən)  Pronunciation Key 
Plural foramina (fə-rām'ə-nə) or foramens
An opening or short passage, especially in the body. ◇ The large opening in the base of the skull through which the spinal cord passes is called the foramen magnum (māg'nəm). ◇ The opening in the septum between the right and left atria of the heart, present in the fetus but usually closed soon after birth, is the foramen ovale (ō-vāl'ē, -vā'lē, -vä'-).
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Example sentences
Near the middle of this line a nutrient foramen is often seen.
The mid-point of the anterior margin of the foramen magnum.
As the nerve enters the optic foramen its dural sheath becomes continuous with
  that lining the orbit and the optic foramen.
As it descends, it sometimes divides into two smaller folds, which are lost on
  the sides of the foramen magnum.
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