cephalic

¹

[suh-fal-ik]

adjective

1. of or relating to the head.

2. situated or directed toward the head.

-cephalic

²

1. variant of -cephalous.

   brachycephalic.

cephalic

¹

/ sɪˈfælɪk /

adjective

1. of or relating to the head

2. situated in, on, or near the head

-cephalic

²

combining form

1. indicating skull or head; -headed

   brachycephalic

cephalic

1. Located on or near the head.

Other Word Forms

• cephalically adverb
• postcephalic adjective
• procephalic adjective
• uncephalic adjective
• -cephaly combining form

Word History and Origins

Origin of cephalic¹

1590–1600; < Latin cephalicus < Greek kephalikós of the head. See cephal-, -ic

Origin of cephalic²

< Greek -kephal ( os ) -cephalous + -ic

Word History and Origins

Origin of cephalic¹

from Greek -kephalos

Example Sentences

But the court heard that despite a 31-week scan recording the baby as completely breech, three subsequent midwife examinations recorded it as being in a head down, cephalic position.

From BBC

The circling motion was more relaxed: the rays were touching each other, and they weren't unfurling their cephalic fins—the horn-like appendages in front of their face—to eat.

From National Geographic

This has to be done quickly, what I’m after now, he realized; he hurried down the hall and all at once his detection gear registered the presence of cephalic activity.

From Literature

“For your cephalic pattern,” Crams said.

From Literature

His cephalic pattern taken, he found himself being led off to an equally familiar room; reflexively he began assembling his valuables for transfer.

From Literature

When To Use

What does -cephalic mean?

The combining form -cephalic is used like a suffix meaning “having a head or heads.” It is often used in medical and scientific terms.The form -cephalic comes from the Greek kephalḗ, meaning “head.”The combining form -cephalic is a variant of -cephalous, as in dicephalous.Want to know more? Read our Words That Use -cephalous article.Corresponding forms of -cephalic combined to the beginning of words are cephalo- and cephal-, which you can learn more about in our Words That Use articles for each form.Also deriving from kephalḗ are the combining forms encephalo- and encephal-, meaning “brain.” Discover how these forms are used in our Words That Use encephalo- and encephal- articles.