mastoid process
- a large, bony prominence on the base of the skull behind the ear, containing air spaces that connect with the middle ear cavity.
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Origin of mastoid process
First recorded in 1725–35
Also called mastoid, mastoid bone.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
mastoid process
- A conical protuberance of the posterior portion of the temporal bone that is situated behind the ear and serves as a site of muscle attachment.mastoid bone
- The part of the first pharyngeal arch in the embryo, developing into the upper jaw in the embryo.
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
mastoid process
[măs′toid′]
- A protruding bony area in the lower part of the skull that is located behind the ear in humans and many other vertebrates and serves as a site of muscle attachment. The mastoid process contains small air-filled cavities called mastoid cells that communicate with the middle ear.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.