sphenoid
Americanadjective
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being in the shape of a wedge; wedge-shaped.
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Anatomy. of or relating to the compound bone of the base of the skull, at the roof of the pharynx.
noun
adjective
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wedge-shaped
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of or relating to the sphenoid bone
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of sphenoid
1725–35; < New Latin sphēnoīdēs < Greek sphēnoeidḗs. See sphen-, -oid
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
I watched mine perform a complicated skull-based surgery — the removal of a sphenoid meningioma.
From Salon • Nov. 20, 2022
Figure 29.7 The cranial bones, including the frontal, parietal, and sphenoid bones, cover the top of the head.
From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022
The pituitary gland, sometimes called the hypophysis or “master gland” is located at the base of the brain in the sella turcica, a groove of the sphenoid bone of the skull, illustrated in Figure 28.15.
From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022
The middle cranial fossa is divided at the midline by the upward bony prominence of the sella turcica, a part of the sphenoid bone.
From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013
These cavities are bounded superiorly by the sphenoid and 390 ethmoid bones; inferiorly, by the hard palate.
From A Treatise on Anatomy, Physiology, and Hygiene (Revised Edition) by Cutter, Calvin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.