- pharyngeal arch - visceral arch - One of a series of bony or
cartilaginous arches that develop in the walls of the mouth
cavity and pharynx of a vertebrate embryo, consist typically of
a curved segmented bar or rod on each side meeting the
contralateral bar or rod at the ventral end, and correspond to
the gill arches of fishes and amphibians -- called also
pharyngeal arch, visceral arch. Definition from: Merriam-
Webster's Medical Dictionary by Merriam-Webster Inc. See also
Understanding Medical Terminology.