parotid duct [Gk, para + ous, ear; L, ducere, to lead] , a tubular canal, about 7 cm long, that extends from the anterior part of the parotid gland near the ear to the mouth. It crosses the masseter after leaving the parotid gland, pierces the buccinator, runs for a short distance obliquely forward between the buccinator and the mucous membrane of the mouth, and opens on the oral surface of the cheek through a small opening opposite the second upper molar tooth. Also called Stensen’s duct. See also parotid gland, salivary gland.
