| a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare. |
| a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes. |
oral (ˈɔːrəl, ˈɒrəl) ![]() | |
| —adj | |
| 1. | spoken or verbal: an oral agreement |
| 2. | relating to, affecting, or for use in the mouth: an oral thermometer |
| 3. | of or relating to the surface of an animal, such as a jellyfish, on which the mouth is situated |
| 4. | Compare parenteral denoting a drug to be taken by mouth: an oral contraceptive |
| 5. | of, relating to, or using spoken words |
| 6. | phonetics pronounced with the soft palate in a raised position completely closing the nasal cavity and allowing air to pass out only through the mouth |
| 7. | psychoanal |
| a. relating to a stage of psychosexual development during which the child's interest is concentrated on the mouth | |
| b. anal genital Compare phallic denoting personality traits, such as dependence, selfishness, and aggression, resulting from fixation at the oral stage | |
| —n | |
| 8. | an examination in which the questions and answers are spoken rather than written |
| [C17: from Late Latin orālis, from Latin ōs face] | |
| 'orally | |
| —adv | |
oral (ˈɔːrəl, ˈɒrəl) ![]() | |
| —adj | |
| 1. | spoken or verbal: an oral agreement |
| 2. | relating to, affecting, or for use in the mouth: an oral thermometer |
| 3. | of or relating to the surface of an animal, such as a jellyfish, on which the mouth is situated |
| 4. | Compare parenteral denoting a drug to be taken by mouth: an oral contraceptive |
| 5. | of, relating to, or using spoken words |
| 6. | phonetics pronounced with the soft palate in a raised position completely closing the nasal cavity and allowing air to pass out only through the mouth |
| 7. | psychoanal |
| a. relating to a stage of psychosexual development during which the child's interest is concentrated on the mouth | |
| b. anal genital Compare phallic denoting personality traits, such as dependence, selfishness, and aggression, resulting from fixation at the oral stage | |
| —n | |
| 8. | an examination in which the questions and answers are spoken rather than written |
| [C17: from Late Latin orālis, from Latin ōs face] | |
| 'orally | |
| —adv | |
oral o·ral (ôr'əl)
adj.
Of or relating to the mouth.
Used in or taken through the mouth.
Of or relating to the first stage of psychosexual development in psychoanalytic theory, in which the mouth is the focus of exploration and pleasure.
| oral (ôr'əl) Pronunciation Key
Relating to or involving the mouth. |