mouth (redirected from mouthed off at)

mouth, entrance to the digestive and respiratory tracts. The mouth, or oral cavity, is ordinarily a simple opening in lower animals; in vertebrates it is a more complex structure. In humans, the mouth is defined in front and at the sides by the lips, jawbone, teeth, and gums; in the rear it merges with the throat. The roof of the mouth is composed of the hard and soft palates and the floor of the mouth is formed by the tongue, a muscular structure that contains the organs of taste (taste buds). The lips, palates, tongue, and teeth are the major components in speech formation, using the "raw sound" formed in the larynx. The process of digestion begins in the mouth; the chewing and grinding action of the teeth reduces the food to a readily digestible substance. The enzymatic process of converting starch to sugar is initiated by salivary amylase (ptyalin) excreted by the three salivary glands located at the angle of the jawbone and under the tongue. Saliva produced in these glands moistens food, preparing it for processing in the digestive system.

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mouth

 or oral cavity or buccal cavity

Orifice through which food and air enter the body. It opens to the outside at the lips and empties into the throat at the rear and is bounded by the lips, cheeks, hard and soft palates, and glottis. Its chief structures are the teeth (see tooth), tongue, and palate. It is the site of chewing and speech formation. The mouth is lined by mucous membranes containing small glands that, along with the salivary glands, keep it moist and clear of food and other debris.

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mouth

1. the opening through which many animals take in food and issue vocal sounds

2. the system of organs surrounding this opening, including the lips, tongue, teeth, etc.

3. the visible part of the lips on the face

4. the point where a river issues into a sea or lake

5. the opening of a container, such as a jar

6. the opening of or place leading into a cave, tunnel, volcano, etc.

7. that part of the inner lip of a horse on which the bit acts, esp when specified as to sensitivity

8. Music the narrow slit in an organ pipe

9. the opening between the jaws of a vice or other gripping device

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mouth [mau̇th]

(anatomy)

The oral or buccal cavity and its related structures.

(engineering acoustics)

The end of a horn that has the larger cross-sectional area.

(geography)

The place where one body of water discharges into another. Also known as influx.

The entrance or exit of a geomorphic feature, such as of a cave or valley.

(mining engineering)

The end of a shaft, adit, drift, entry, or tunnel emerging at the surface.

The collar of a borehole.

(science and technology)

Something resembling a mouth, that is, a place where one thing enters another or an opening at the receiving end of a container or enclosure.