postorbital

[pohst-awr-bi-tl]

adjective

Anatomy, Zoology.

1. located behind the orbit or socket of the eye.

postorbital

/ pəʊstˈɔːbɪtəl /

adjective

1. anatomy situated behind the eye or the eye socket

Word History and Origins

Origin of postorbital¹

First recorded in 1825–35; post- + orbital

Example Sentences

In fact, it’s just a single bone – a postorbital, or a bone that makes up the rear border of the eye and has some of the bumpy ornamentation that made tyrannosaurs so striking.

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Following the old rules, an expert would likely categorize the postorbital horn cores as those of a chasmosaurine.

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“The  two postorbitals described here represent some of the earliest ceratopsid remains,” Brown writes, “and indicate a form with clearly massive, dorsolaterally projecting, straight postorbital horncores.”

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Postorbital openings like otic notches are absent.

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The postorbital bones are peculiar in shape and mean that the eye sockets are directed upwards and forwards.

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