Obturator
noun
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An object used to obstruct a hole, such as a fissure of the palate.
- 2 a prosthesis used to close an opening (as to close an opening of the hard palate in cases of cleft palate) wordnet
- 3 The membrane vessels, etc. that close the obturator foramen, or thyroid foramen, a large opening or fenestra in the anterior part of the hip bone.
- 4 A valve closure member (disk, gate, plug, etc.).
"Obturators, held down by compressed air, close the pipe giving direct access from the h.p. exhaust to the l.p. steam chest, and so prevent compound working; […]."
- 5 Any device for preventing the escape of gas through the breech mechanism of a breech-loading gun; a gas check.
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- 6 A camera shutter.
Example
More examples"Obturators, held down by compressed air, close the pipe giving direct access from the h.p. exhaust to the l.p. steam chest, and so prevent compound working; […]."
Etymology
From Latin obtūrō (“to stop, block up”).
Related phrases
More for "obturator"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.