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Philtrum: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Philtrum noun. The small vertical groove that runs from the bottom of the nose to the top lip.
How to say it
FIL-trum/ˈfɪltrəm/
2 syllables, stressed on the first (FIL).
Philtrum in a sentence
A Jewish legend says an angel presses the philtrum before birth so we forget what we knew in heaven.
He had a thin moustache that stopped neatly at either side of his philtrum.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- lip groove
Where philtrum comes from
From Greek philtron, a love charm, from philein, to love.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
He had a thin moustache that stopped neatly at either side of his _____.
- gongoozler
- vomitory
- philtrum
Show the answer
philtrum: He had a thin moustache that stopped neatly at either side of his philtrum.