anencephaly

[an-en-sef-uh-lee]

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noun Medicine/Medical.

congenital absence of part or all of the brain.

Also an·en·ce·pha·lia

[an-en-suh-feyl-yuh, an-en-] /ˌæn ɛn səˈfeɪl yə, ænˌɛn-/.

Origin of anencephaly

From New Latin, dating back to 1825–35; see origin at an-¹, encephal-, -y³

Related formsan·en·ce·phal·ic

[an-en-suh-fal-ik, an-en-] /ˌæn ɛn səˈfæl ɪk, ænˌɛn-/, an·en·ceph·a·lous, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for anencephalic

mindless, dumb, foolish, imbecile, senseless, silly, stupid, thoughtless, witless, anencephalous

Examples from the Web for anencephalic

Historical Examples of anencephalic

Her own child was anencephalic and acranial, with entire absence of vault of skull.
Studies in the Psychology of Sex, Volume 5 (of 6)
Havelock Ellis

British Dictionary definitions for anencephalic

anencephalic

adjective

born with no or only a partial brain

Derived Formsanencephaly (ˌænɛnˈsɛfəlɪ), noun

Word Origin for anencephalic

an- + encephalic

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for anencephalic

adj.

"having no brain" (biology), 1839, from Greek anenkephalos, from privative prefix an- (see an- (1)) + enkephalos "brain" (see encephalitis) + -ic.

anencephalic in Medicine

anencephaly

[ăn′ən-sĕf′ə-lē]

n.

Congenital absence of most of the brain and spinal cord.

Related formsan′en•ce•phal′ic (-sə-făl′ĭk) null adj.