n., pl., -pha·ryn·ges (-fə-rĭn'jēz), or -phar·ynx·es.
The part of the pharynx between the soft palate and the epiglottis.
[Latin ōs, ōr-, mouth; see os1 + PHARYNX.]
oropharyngeal o'ro·pha·ryn'ge·al (-fə-rĭn'jē-əl, -făr'ən-jē'əl) adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.