foramen lacerum
noun
foramen lac·er·um
| \ -ˈlas-ər-əm
\
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Medical Definition of foramen lacerum
: an irregular aperture on the lower surface of the skull bounded by parts of the temporal, sphenoid, and occipital bones that is filled with fibrocartilage, gives passage to several vessels (as emissary veins), and has the internal carotid artery running above its upper surface after exiting the carotid canal