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
The lesser wings of the sphenoid bone form the prominent ledge that marks the boundary between the anterior and middle cranial fossae.
From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013
This bony region of the sphenoid bone is named for its resemblance to the horse saddles used by the Ottoman Turks, with a high back and a tall front.
From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013
The sphenoid has multiple openings for the passage of nerves and blood vessels, including the optic canal, superior orbital fissure, foramen rotundum, foramen ovale, and foramen spinosum.
From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013
The sphenoid or bat-wing bone appears in the temples by its wing, between the frontal and temporal, while in the centre of the base its solid body is between the frontal and occipital.
From Buchanan's Journal of Man, April 1887 Volume 1, Number 3 by Buchanan, Joseph R. (Joseph Rodes)
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.
