cervical

American

[sur-vi-kuhl] / ˈsɜr vɪ kəl /

adjective

Anatomy.

of or relating to the cervix or neck.

cervical British

/ səˈvaɪ-, ˈsɜːvɪkəl /

adjective

of or relating to the neck or cervix

"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

cervical Scientific

/ sûr′vĭ-kəl /

Relating to or involving the cervix of the uterus.
Relating to or located in or near the neck.

Etymology

Origin of cervical

First recorded in 1675–85; from Latin cervīc-, stem of cervīx “neck” + -al ¹

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.

"The cervical vertebrae of Kank show special structures for muscle attachment and the protection of neck blood vessels, features particularly important in modern birds with complex neck movements, such as herons," says Dr. Motta.

From Science Daily • May 29, 2026

At just after 02:00 on 6 September staff detected the baby's heart rate dropping; during a cervical examination Lauryn's waters broke.

From BBC • May 11, 2026

Vaccination of girls under 15 hovers just over 80%, and 85% of women in the most critical age group have been screened for cervical cancer.

From BBC • May 1, 2026

Walters says dealing with cervical cancer has felt like "a full-time job", but one you pay dearly to have.

From BBC • May 1, 2026

He believed it and HPV-16, which he’d discovered a year earlier, caused cervical cancer.

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023