Hypertext Webster Gateway: "oral"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Oral \O"ral\, a. [L. os, oris, the mouth, akin to Skr. [=a]s.
Cf. {Adore}, {Orison}, {Usher}.]
1. Uttered by the mouth, or in words; spoken, not written;
verbal; as, oral traditions; oral testimony; oral law.
2. Of or pertaining to the mouth; surrounding or lining the
mouth; as, oral cilia or cirri.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
oral
adj 1: using speech rather than writing; "an oral tradition"; "an
oral agreement [syn: {unwritten}]
2: of or relating to or affecting or for use in the mouth;
"oral hygiene"; "an oral thermometer"; "an oral vaccine"
3: (anatomy) of or involving the mouth or mouth region or the
surface on which the mouth is located; "the oral cavity";
"the oral mucous membrane"; "the oral surface of a
starfish" [ant: {aboral}]
4: (psychoanalysis) a stage in psychosexual development when
the child's interest is concentrated in the mouth;
fixation at this stage is said to result in dependence,
selfishness, and aggression [ant: {anal}]
n : an examination conducted by word of mouth [syn: {oral exam},
{oral examination}, {viva voce}]
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