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

The 25-year-old revealed in March that she sustained a "left occipital infarct" last year but there was no lasting damage to her brain or vision.

From BBC • Dec. 9, 2024

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

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2024

No such association was found for other memory-relevant brain areas in the occipital cortex -- they were equally active in individuals with all levels of memory performance.

From Science Daily • Sep. 25, 2023

In particular, people with a smaller temporal lobe had greater volume in their dorsomedial occipital lobe, a region involved in visual association, when compared with FTD patients who were not artistically driven.

From Scientific American • May 26, 2023

“At the occipital bone, the posterior base of my skull,” Rachael said.

From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick