1
: an opening in the septum between the two atria of the heart that is normally present only in the fetus
During fetal life, this small tunnel, the foramen ovale, allows blood to bypass the lungs … . Yet in as many as 10 percent of people, physicians now estimate, the hole remains open, or patent.—
Richard Saltus
Richard Saltus2
: an oval opening in the greater wing of the cranial sphenoid bone for passage of a nerve supplying the mouth and jaw
Examples of foramen ovale in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
He’s put in more than 1,000 miles since his surgery six months ago to fix his heart condition, known as patent foramen ovale.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Jan. 2024
Doctors later confirmed that Terry had a patent foramen ovale (or PFO), which is a hole between the left and right atria (upper chambers) of the heart that didn’t close naturally after birth.
—Escher Walcott, Peoplemag, 14 Aug. 2023
The model recently reflected on the one-year anniversary of her hospitalization after experiencing stroke-like symptoms due to her patent foramen ovale (PFO) diagnosis.
—Chelsey Sanchez, Harper's BAZAAR, 13 Mar. 2023
In a patent foramen ovale (PFO), a flap between the two upper chambers of the heart allows venous blood to mix with oxygenated blood.
—Tony Dajer, Discover Magazine, 1 Oct. 2015
Those who don’t fuse end up with a PFO, or patent foramen ovale.
—Tony Dajer, Discover Magazine, 1 Oct. 2015
Research does seem to show that a heart condition, patent foramen ovale or PFO, increases a person’s risk of having migraine with aura, says Dr. Parikh, but the reason why is unknown.
—Kaitlyn Pirie, Good Housekeeping, 25 July 2022
After birth, the foramen ovale usually closes on its own.
—Serena Coady, SELF, 28 Apr. 2022
The foramen ovale allows the transportation of blood from the veins to the right side of the fetus’s heart and then onto the left side.
—Serena Coady, SELF, 28 Apr. 2022
Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Jan. 2024
Doctors later confirmed that Terry had a patent foramen ovale (or PFO), which is a hole between the left and right atria (upper chambers) of the heart that didn’t close naturally after birth.
—Escher Walcott, Peoplemag, 14 Aug. 2023
The model recently reflected on the one-year anniversary of her hospitalization after experiencing stroke-like symptoms due to her patent foramen ovale (PFO) diagnosis.
—Chelsey Sanchez, Harper's BAZAAR, 13 Mar. 2023
In a patent foramen ovale (PFO), a flap between the two upper chambers of the heart allows venous blood to mix with oxygenated blood.
—Tony Dajer, Discover Magazine, 1 Oct. 2015
Those who don’t fuse end up with a PFO, or patent foramen ovale.
—Tony Dajer, Discover Magazine, 1 Oct. 2015
Research does seem to show that a heart condition, patent foramen ovale or PFO, increases a person’s risk of having migraine with aura, says Dr. Parikh, but the reason why is unknown.
—Kaitlyn Pirie, Good Housekeeping, 25 July 2022
After birth, the foramen ovale usually closes on its own.
—Serena Coady, SELF, 28 Apr. 2022
The foramen ovale allows the transportation of blood from the veins to the right side of the fetus’s heart and then onto the left side.
—Serena Coady, SELF, 28 Apr. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'foramen ovale.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Foramen ovale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foramen%20ovale. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
foramen ovale
noun
foramen ova·le
-ō-ˈva-(ˌ)lē 
-ˈvā-
-ˈvä-
-ˈvā-
-ˈvä-
1
: an opening in the septum between the two atria of the heart that is normally present only in the fetus
2
: an oval opening in the greater wing of the sphenoid for passage of the mandibular nerve
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