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microcephalic

[mahy-kroh-suh-fal-ik]
adjective Cephalometry, Pathology.
  1. having a head with a small braincase.
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Also mi·cro·ceph·a·lous [mahy-kroh-sef-uh-luh s] /ˌmaɪ kroʊˈsɛf ə ləs/.

Origin of microcephalic

From the New Latin word microcephalicus, dating back to 1855–60. See micro-, cephalic
Related formsmi·cro·ceph·a·ly, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for microcephalic

Historical Examples

  • The satyrs are represented as being of the microcephalic type.

    Pedagogical Anthropology

    Maria Montessori

  • What mattered the microcephalic imaginings of greasy Dave and his friends among the chorus?

    The Real Adventure

    Henry Kitchell Webster

  • To-day, however, the terms macrocephalic and microcephalic have come to be reserved for pathological cases.

    Pedagogical Anthropology

    Maria Montessori

  • Mller had interested himself very much in microcephalic skulls and Virchow assisted him in the investigations of them.

Word Origin and History for microcephalic

adj.

"small-headed," 1845, from French microcéphalique, from Modern Latin microcephalus, from Greek mikros "small" (see mica) + kephale "head" (see cephalo-). Related: Microcephalism; microcephalous (1840); microcephaly (n.).

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper