petrous
[ pe-truh s, pee- ]
/ ˈpɛ trəs, ˈpi- /
adjective
Anatomy. noting or pertaining to the hard dense portion of the temporal bone, containing the internal auditory organs; petrosal.
like stone, especially in hardness; stony; rocky.
RELATED WORDS
jagged, craggy, rough, flinty, hard, inflexible, petrified, solid, lapidarian, lithic, pebbly, rock-ribbed
Nearby words
Origin of petrous
Related formssu·per·pet·rous, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for petrous
British Dictionary definitions for petrous
petrous
/ (ˈpɛtrəs, ˈpiː-) /
adjective
anatomy denoting the dense part of the temporal bone that surrounds the inner ear
rare like rock or stone
Word Origin for petrous
C16: from Latin petrōsus full of rocks
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for petrous
petrous
1540s, from Middle French petreux, from Latin petrosus "stony," from petra "rock," from Greek petra "rock, cliff, ledge, shelf of rock, rocky ridge," of uncertain origin. Possibly from PIE root *per- "to lead, pass over," if the original meaning is "bedrock" and the notion is "what one comes through to" [Watkins].
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Medicine definitions for petrous
petrous
[ pĕt′rəs ]
adj.
Of stony hardness.
Of or relating to the dense hard portion of the temporal bone that forms a protective case for the inner ear.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.