cleft palate

noun

1. a congenital defect of the palate in which a longitudinal fissure exists in the roof of the mouth, often associated with a cleft lip.

cleft palate

noun

1. a congenital crack or fissure in the midline of the hard palate, often associated with a harelip

cleft palate

1. Incomplete closure of the palate during development of an embryo, resulting in a split along part or all of the roof of the mouth.

Word History and Origins

Origin of cleft palate¹

First recorded in 1840–50

Example Sentences

“It certainly happened to me,” said Schimberg, who has a cleft palate.

From Salon

Take lamotrigine, for instance: In the early 2000s, animal trials indicated that it could increase conditions like cleft palate, but later studies found no such link, reassuring clinicians.

From Salon

About half of all living bat species have cleft palates—a feature that may be tied to bat echolocation.

From Scientific American

Exposure to the poison can cause many diseases, from 20 forms of cancer to Type 2 diabetes and serious birth defects like cleft palates and club feet.

From Washington Post

By 12, he’d endured 30 separate surgeries to correct a cleft palate and lip, to insert a prosthetic eye and to reroute a blood vessel in his brain.

From New York Times