oral
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++LDOCE 5++o·ral1 /ˈɔːrəl/ ●●○ adjective 1 SPEAK A LANGUAGEspoken, not written 口头的，口述的 oral history 口述的历史 an oral agreement 口头协议2 HBHMrelating to or involving the mouth 口的，口腔的 oral hygiene 口腔卫生 —orally adverb5The drug should be taken orally after meals.这药应于饭后口服。n The drug should be taken orally. The statement may be given orally or in writing. 声明可以用口头形式，也可以用书面形式。
Examples from the Corpus
oral• Such a lack of correlation was also observed by Levin after oral administration of 5 µg purified cholera toxin to healthy volunteers.• Discussion Our patient had Crohn's disease: the macroscopic and histological features of the oral and perianal lesions are typical.• Furthermore, the results of most studies suggest that obese individuals respond less well to oral bile acid treatment than the non-obese.• oral cancer• It is clear that both tobacco and alcohol are risk factors in the development of oral carcinoma.• Like our oral culture, our society is atomized, disparate and largely obsessed with trivia.• Anglo-Saxon stories and poems were part of a largely oral culture.• We had a 15-minute oral exam in German.• The oral papillae are reduced resembling irregularly arranged, enlarged granules.• He contacted a doctor and was given oral penicillin.• an oral report• This is perpetuated in modern weaning during the oral stage and finds an equivalent in manic-depressive and paranoid-schizophrenic disorders.oral2 (also oral exam) noun [countable] 1 especially British EnglishSESLL a spoken test, especially in a foreign language 〔尤指外语的〕口试 I’ve got my French oral tomorrow. 我明天有法语口试。2. American EnglishSEC a spoken test for a university degree 〔大学里学位考试的〕口试Examples from the Corpus
oral• There are practical assessments, orals and so on.• The Academy has this quirk about a plebe having to pass orals before proceeding.From Longman Business Dictionaryoralo‧ral /ˈɔːrəl/ adjective spoken, rather than writtenThe debtor may attend court to give oral evidence as to his financial situation.Origin oral1 (1600-1700) Late Latin oralis, from Latin os “mouth”o·ral1 adjectiveoral2 nounLDOCE OnlineChineseSyllable
Corpus not Business spoken, written
oral
o‧ral1 /ˈɔːrəl/ 
adjective
oral history
an oral agreement
2. relating to or involving the mouth:
oral hygiene
—orally adverb:
The drug should be taken orally.
The statement may be given orally or in writing.
▪ spoken used about the language that people speak rather than write: Spoken English is often less formal than written English. | I can understand classical Arabic but not spoken Arabic.
▪oral an oral test is one in which you have to speak rather than write. Oral is also used about culture, traditions, and history that are based on spoken English rather than being written down: We had a 15-minute oral exam in German. | Anglo-Saxon stories and poems were part of a largely oral culture.
▪verbal a verbal agreement, warning, form of communication etc is spoken rather than written down: We had a verbal agreement but no written contract. | The company have received verbal approval to begin the project.
▪by/through word of mouth by someone telling you about something rather than by reading about it somewhere - used to say how you got some information: He found out about the job by word of mouth. | A lot of our customers hear about us through word of mouth.
oral2 (also ˈoral exˌam) noun [countable]
1. especially British English a spoken test, especially in a foreign language:
I’ve got my French oral tomorrow.
2. American English a spoken test for a university degree
| I |
adjective Date: 1600-1700
Language: Late Latin
Origin: oralis, from Latin os 'mouth'
1. spoken, not written:Language: Late Latin
Origin: oralis, from Latin os 'mouth'
2. relating to or involving the mouth:
—orally adverb:
| THESAURUS |
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| II |
(also ˈoral exˌam) noun [countable]1. especially British English a spoken test, especially in a foreign language:
2. American English a spoken test for a university degree
spoken (of language) produced using the voice; said rather than written 指口语的、口头的 ：◆ an exam in spoken English 英语口语考试 oral [ 指口头的、口述的 ：◆ There will be a test of both oral and written French. 将有一次法语口试和笔试。
spoken or oral? 用 spoken 还是 oral？
vocal [ 指嗓音的、发音的 ：◆ vocal music 声乐 ◆ the vocal organs (= the tongue, lips, etc. )发声器官 NOTE Vocal is used to talk about the ability to produce sounds using the voice, and is often used in musical contexts when referring to singing.* vocal 关乎发音的能力，常用于音乐语境中，指歌唱。
Patterns
spoken/oral French/English/Japanese, etc. spoken/oral language skills