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Added 9 October 2026

oral

/ˈɔː.ɹəl/ adjective

Latin root: ōrālis Wiktionary

adjective Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about oral at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Relating to the mouth.
oral hygiene
Done or taken by the mouth.
Pronounced by the voice resonating in the mouth, as the vowels in English.

noun

A spoken test or examination, particularly in a language class.
We've got our Spanish oral tomorrow.
A physical examination of the mouth.
Ellipsis of oral sex.
I gave my boyfriend oral for the first time on his birthday.

Origin

PIE word *h₁óh₃s Early 17th century borrowing from Late Latin ōrālis, from ōs (“the mouth”) + -ālis (“-al”, adjectival suffix).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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