The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Palatal \Pal"a*tal\, a. [Cf. F. palatal.]
   1. Of or pertaining to the palate; palatine; as, the palatal
      bones.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. (Phonetics) Uttered by the aid of the palate; -- said of
      certain sounds, as the sound of k in kirk.
      [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Palatal \Pal"a*tal\, n. (Phon.)
   A sound uttered, or a letter pronounced, by the aid of the
   palate, as the letters k and y.
   [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

palatal
    adj 1: relating to or lying near the palate; "palatal index";
           "the palatine tonsils" [syn: palatal, palatine]
    2: produced with the front of the tongue near or touching the
       hard palate (as `y') or with the blade of the tongue near the
       hard palate (as `ch' in `chin' or `j' in `gin') [syn:
       palatal, palatalized, palatalised]
    n 1: a semivowel produced with the tongue near the palate (like
         the initial sound in the English word `yeast')