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Definition

noun

(1) The oral cavity located at the upper end of the alimentary canal that opens to the outside at the lips and empties into the throat at the rear, and containing structures for mastication and tasting in higher vertebrates.

(2) A body opening or the mouth as to which food (and air) enters the body of an animal or human, as well as for making sounds (e.g. cry or croak).

Supplement

Word origin: Latin bucc(a) + cavity » MF cavite < LL cavitās, hollowness.

Synonym: oral vestibule, vestibulum oris, vestibule of mouth.