palate
NounUS[pal-uht]/ˈpælət/2 syllablesalso [pal-it] /ˈpælɪt/
Synonyms:
roof of the mouth
Open English WordNet
Noun (1)
- the upper surface of the mouth that separates the oral and nasal cavitiesSynonyms: roof of the mouthType of surfacePart of mouth, oral cavityParts hard palate, soft palate, tastebud
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Webster's Dictionary (1913)
Pal′ate noun
Origin: L. palatum: cf. F. palais, Of. also palat.
1. Anatomy The roof of the mouth.
☞ The fixed portion, or palate proper, supported by the maxillary and palatine bones, is called the hard palate to distinguish it from the membranous and muscular curtain which separates the cavity of the mouth from the pharynx and is called the soft palate, or velum.
2. Relish; taste; liking; — a sense originating in the mistaken notion that the palate is the organ of taste.
Hard task! to hit the palate of such guests.— Alexander Pope
3. Fig.: Mental relish; intellectual taste. Thomas Baker
4. Botany A projection in the throat of such flowers as the snapdragon.
Pal′ate transitive verb
To perceive by the taste. obsolete William Shakespeare
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54