cephalic
adjective
of or relating to the head.
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cephalic
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-cephalic
-cephalicvariant of -cephalous.
cephalic
1 American
[suh-fal-ik]
/ səˈfæl ɪk /
adjective
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of or relating to the head.
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situated or directed toward the head.
-cephalic
2
American
-cephalic
1
British
combining form
cephalic
2
British
/ sɪˈfælɪk /
adjective
-
of or relating to the head
-
situated in, on, or near the head
cephalic
Scientific
/ sə-făl′ĭk /
Usage
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.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of cephalic1
1590–1600; < Latin cephalicus < Greek kephalikós of the head. See cephal-, -ic
Origin of -cephalic2
< Greek -kephal ( os ) -cephalous + -ic
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Schmidt Cephalic Carnage Anomalies Relapse Records The loonies in Cephalic Carnage are back at it again with another bona fide grindfest.
From Time Magazine Archive
The three young fellows devoured their dinner like lions, and drank like lords to the future success of Cephalic Oil.
From Rise and Fall of Cesar Birotteau by Balzac, Honoré de
Mademoiselle," Anselme was saying, "do not think me so base and grasping as to profit by your father's share which I have acquired in the Cephalic Oil.
From Rise and Fall of Cesar Birotteau by Balzac, Honoré de
Cephalic shield pointed behind; shell internal, chiefly membranous, with calcified nucleus, nautiloid; parapodia forming fins.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 5 "Gassendi, Pierre" to "Geocentric" by Various
For the first time he was roused to notice enormous scarlet placards on all the walls, and his eyes encountered the words "Cephalic Oil."
From Rise and Fall of Cesar Birotteau by Balzac, Honoré de
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
