occipital

American  

[ok-sip-i-tl] / ɒkˈsɪp ɪ tl /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or situated near the occiput or the occipital bone.

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noun

1. any of several parts of the occiput, especially the occipital bone.

occipital British  

/ ɒkˈsɪpɪtəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to the back of the head or skull

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noun

1. short for occipital bone

Other Word Forms

• occipitally adverb
• preoccipital adjective
• superoccipital adjective

Etymology

Origin of occipital

1535–45; < Medieval Latin occipitālis, equivalent to Latin occipit- (stem of occiput ) occiput + -ālis -al ¹

Example Sentences

A left occipital infarct is a type of ischaemic stroke, which is caused by a blood clot clogging an artery in a brain.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2024

When this occurs in the occipital lobe, it is referred to as an occipital infarct.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2024

By comparing term and pre-term babies the researchers showed that different patterns of connectivity are linked to pre-term birth, for example pre-term babies spent more time in frontal and occipital brain states than term babies.

From Science Daily • Feb. 8, 2024

A study published last year in the Journal of Neuroscience revealed that canines’ brain has a direct connection between their olfactory bulb, which processes smell, and their occipital lobe, which processes vision.

From Scientific American • Oct. 4, 2023

Together we discussed and gravely considered the relative merits of side compression straps, spindrift collars, crampon patches, load transfer differentials, air-flow channels, webbing loops, and something called the occipital cutout ratio.

From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson