levator veli palatini

Borrowed from New Latin levātor vēlī palātīnī (“lifter of the palatine veil”).

• (General American) IPA^(key): /lɪˈveɪ.tɚ ˌviˌlaɪ ˌpæl.əˈtaɪˌnaɪ/

levator veli palatini (plural levatores veli palatini)

1. (anatomy) A muscle arising from the temporal bone and the cartilage of the Eustachian tube and descending to insert into the midline of the soft palate which it elevates especially to close the nasopharynx while swallowing is taking place to prevent regurgitation of liquid or solid matter through the nose.

   Hypernym: levator

   Coordinate terms: levator anguli oris, levator ani, levator costae, levator labii superioris, levator labii superioris alaeque nasi, levator palpebrae superioris, levator prostatae, levator scapulae

• “levator veli palatini”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.