of, using, or transmitted by speech: oral methods of language teaching; oral traditions.
of, relating to, or involving the mouth: the oral cavity.
done, taken, or administered through the mouth: an oral dose of medicine.
Phonetics. articulated with none of the voice issuing through the nose, as the normal English vowels and the consonants b and v.
Psychoanalysis.
of or relating to the earliest phase of infantile psychosexual development, lasting from birth to one year of age or longer, during which pleasure is obtained from eating, sucking, and biting.
of or relating to the sublimation of feelings experienced during the oral stage of childhood: oral anxiety.
of or relating to gratification by stimulation of the lips or membranes of the mouth, as in sucking, eating, or talking
Zoology. pertaining to that surface of polyps and marine animals that contains the mouth and tentacles.
noun
an oral examination in a school, college, or university, given especially to a candidate for an advanced degree.
Origin of oral
First recorded in 1615–25; from Latin ōr- (stem of ōs ) “mouth” (cognate with Sanskrit āsya ) + -al1
The Supreme Court’s first oral arguments in its new term will be held by remote teleconference because of the continued threat posed by the coronavirus pandemic, the justices announced Wednesday.
Because of pandemic, Supreme Court will begin new term with teleconference arguments|Robert Barnes|September 16, 2020|Washington Post
Sabin’s so-called attenuated strains became the famous oral polio vaccine given on a sugar cube to billions of children.
Synthetic biologists have created a slow-growing version of the coronavirus to give as a vaccine|David Rotman|September 16, 2020|MIT Technology Review
There’s little doubt that in this process, the virus also spreads to the body’s oral cavity.
Spit vs. Swab? Scientists say new studies support use of ‘saliva tests’ for COVID|Lee Clifford|September 5, 2020|Fortune
In a typical LAMP assay, a patient’s nasal or oral swab sample is mixed with enzymes and specially designed DNA fragments, then heated to 65° Celsius to copy the viral RNA to DNA and produce many more DNA copies.
New coronavirus tests promise to be faster, cheaper and easier|Jack J. Lee|August 31, 2020|Science News
It’s transmitted through the fecal-oral route, meaning that humans consume food that has contaminated feces on it.
The Salmonella Outbreaks Among Peaches and Onions, Explained|Jenny G. Zhang|August 28, 2020|Eater
My doctor put me on oral contraceptives to induce a period, figuring it would help build bone.
You’re Never ‘Cured’ of an Eating Disorder|Carrie Arnold|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Also, when Nelson died and Hugh Morrow did his own oral history project and talked to about 75 Rockefeller associates.
This Republican Loved Taxes & Modern Art|Scott Porch|November 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
After his mother arrived, the questioning ended, but his oral admissions were admitted into testimony.
The Myth of the Central Park Five|Edward Conlon|October 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The first shot of his face is sort-of a peek-a-boo in between bouts of administering some, um, oral pleasure.
‘True Blood’ Star Ryan Kwanten Looks Back on Jason Stackhouse’s Craziest Scenes|Kevin Fallon|June 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I often wonder if I should have donated the triage tag to the museum or recorded my oral history for its collections.
How 9/11 Made Journalists Part of the Story|Allison Gilbert|May 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There is more or less effort to discredit books as educative tools and to lay emphasis on oral instruction and manual training.
A Librarian's Open Shelf|Arthur E. Bostwick
Oral speech, the highest form of the personal manifestation of mind, was also treated with great reverence by the ancients.
Pedagogics as a System|Karl Rosenkranz
It certainly will furnish excellent material for language work, oral or written.
American Leaders and Heroes|Wilbur Fisk Gordy
He has however particularly recorded Alfred's fondness for the oral Anglo-Saxon poems and songs.
Reliques of Ancient English Poetry, Volume I (of 3)|Thomas Percy
But not for social, not for any oral purposes were these languages essayed.
And Even Now|Max Beerbohm
British Dictionary definitions for oral
oral
/ (ˈɔːrəl, ˈɒrəl) /
adjective
spoken or verbalan oral agreement
relating to, affecting, or for use in the mouthan oral thermometer
of or relating to the surface of an animal, such as a jellyfish, on which the mouth is situated
denoting a drug to be taken by mouthan oral contraceptive Compare parenteral
of, relating to, or using spoken words
phoneticspronounced with the soft palate in a raised position completely closing the nasal cavity and allowing air to pass out only through the mouth
psychoanal
relating to a stage of psychosexual development during which the child's interest is concentrated on the mouth
denoting personality traits, such as dependence, selfishness, and aggression, resulting from fixation at the oral stageCompare anal (def. 2), genital (def. 2), phallic (def. 2)
noun
an examination in which the questions and answers are spoken rather than written