fontanel

or fon·ta·nelle

[ fon-tn-el ]
/ ˌfɒn tnˈɛl /

noun Anatomy.

one of the spaces, covered by membrane, between the bones of the fetal or young skull.

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Origin of fontanel

1375–1425; late Middle English fontinel < Middle French fontanele little spring, diminutive of fontaine fountain

Words nearby fontanel

fontainebleau, fontainebleau school, fontal, fontana, fontane, fontanel, fontanelle, fontange, fontanne, fontenelle, fonteyn
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for fontanelle

British Dictionary definitions for fontanelle

fontanelle

mainly US fontanel

/ (ˌfɒntəˈnɛl) /

noun

anatomy any of several soft membranous gaps between the bones of the skull in a fetus or infant

Word Origin for fontanelle

C16 (in the sense: hollow between muscles): from Old French fontanele, literally: a little spring, from fontaine fountain
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

Medical definitions for fontanelle

fontanel

n.

Any of the soft membranous gaps between the incompletely formed cranial bones of a fetus or infant.soft spot
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.