nonoral

7.4

Not using the mouth for speaking or taking medicine

adjective
/nɒnˈɔːrəl/

Specialized

: no oral

For patients who cannot eat by mouth, nonoral feeding options like IV nutrition are essential.

Examples

Adding to the oddity of nonoral speech, the merging of speaking and thinking opens the door to many kinds of paradox.

Academic text (1996)
Finally, the availability of broad-spectrum antibiotics and nonoral nutritional support (both enteral and parenteral) further expands nonsurgical treatment options.

Academic text (2008)
The doctor recommended a nonoral method for administering the medication to ensure it was effective.
In some cultures, nonoral communication through sign language is widely used and respected.

Synonyms

wordless

vsnonoral

9 4.1

A look or action that shows feeling without words

also covers situations that lack mouth involvement or mouth administration

nonspeaking

vsnonoral

1 6.0

Not using spoken words, for example a silent actor or someone using sign language

also applies when the mouth is not involved including administration

nonvocal

vsnonoral

5.7

A way to send messages without using the voice, for example gestures

also covers cases that do not involve the mouth or its use

nonspeech

vsnonoral

Specialized

7.5

Connected with sounds or actions that are not spoken words

also covers lack of mouth involvement or mouth-based administration routes

nonverbalized

vsnonoral

7.7

Not expressed in words but shown by actions or silence

also excludes actions that do not involve the mouth or its administration

nonlexical

vsnonoral

Specialized

8.8

Not about words or word meanings and often about sounds and grammar

also applies when the mouth is not used for delivery or intake

nondiscursive

vsnonoral

Literature

9.9

Made clear by feelings or senses instead of words

also includes cases without mouth involvement or medical mouth administration

nonlinguistic

vsnonoral

Specialized

6.8

Not about language, for example gestures and facial expressions

also covers examples that avoid mouth use or mouth-based administration routes

non-language

vsnonoral

7.1

Expressed without spoken or written words, using gestures, images and sounds

also covers lack of mouth involvement and non-mouth methods of delivery

Antonyms

oral

99 2.7

Said aloud instead of written down

How Oral

spoken

1 1.0

oral

99 2.7

nonoral

Specialized

7.4

nonverbal

8 3.7

Surface Forms

nonoral positive

Morphology

nonoral = oral (transparent) = non + oral

Formed by the productive negative prefix 'non-' plus the adjective 'oral', yielding the literal meaning 'not oral'.

Etymology

Nonoral comes from the prefix non- meaning 'not' and oral meaning 'mouth' or 'spoken', so nonoral describes something that is not given through the mouth or not communicated by speaking. A helpful image is an injection instead of a pill, or sign language instead of speech.