obturator
(noun) a prosthesis used to close an opening (as to close an opening of the hard palate in cases of cleft palate)
Source: WordNet® 3.1
obturator (plural obturators)
(surgery) An object used to obstruct a hole, such as a fissure of the palate.
(anatomy) 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.
(engineering) Valve closure member (disk, gate, plug, etc.).
(ordnance) Any device for preventing the escape of gas through the breech mechanism of a breech-loading gun; a gas check.
(photography) A camera shutter.
Source: Wiktionary
Ob"tu*ra`tor, n. Etym: [NL., fr. L. obturare to stop up: cf.F. obturateur.]
1. That which closes or stops an opening.
2. (Surg.)
Definition: An apparatus designed to close an unnatural opening, as a fissure of the palate.
Ob"tu*ra`tor, a. (Anat.)
Definition: Serving as an obturator; closing an opening; pertaining to, or in the region of, the obturator foramen; as, the obturator nerve. Obturator foramen (Anat.), an opening situated between the public and ischial parts of the innominate bone and closed by the obturator membrane; the thyroid foramen.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
27 February 2025
(verb) reach the summit (of a mountain); “They breasted the mountain”; “Many mountaineers go up Mt. Everest but not all summit”
The Boston Tea Party helped popularize coffee in America. The hefty tea tax imposed on the colonies in 1773 resulted in America switching from tea to coffee. In the lead up to the Revolutionary War, it became patriotic to sip java instead of tea. The Civil War made the drink more pervasive. Coffee helped energize tired troops, and drinking it became an expression of freedom.
