obturator /ob″tərā′tər, ob″tyərā′tər/ [L, obturare, to close] , 1. a device used to block a passage or a canal or to fill in a space, such as a prosthesis implanted to bridge the gap in the roof of the mouth in a cleft palate. 2. (Nontechnical) an obturator muscle or membrane. 3. a device that is placed into a large-bore cannula during insertion to prevent potential blockage by residual tissues.
