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sphenoid

American  
[sfee-noid] / ˈsfi nɔɪd /

adjective

  1. being in the shape of a wedge; wedge-shaped.

  2. Anatomy. of or relating to the compound bone of the base of the skull, at the roof of the pharynx.


noun

  1. Anatomy. the sphenoid bone.

sphenoid British  
/ ˈsfiːnɔɪd /

adjective

  1. wedge-shaped

  2. of or relating to the sphenoid bone

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. See sphenoid bone

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word 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.

See Examples For:

I watched mine perform a complicated skull-based surgery — the removal of a sphenoid meningioma.

From Salon Nov. 20, 2022

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 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

The paranasal sinuses are air-filled spaces located within the frontal, maxillary, sphenoid, and ethmoid bones.

From Textbooks Jun. 19, 2013

Spheneth′moid, pertaining to the sphenoid and the ethmoid bone; Sphē′nō-fron′tal, -mā′lar, -pal′atine, -parī′etal, -tem′poral, pertaining to the sphenoid and frontal, malar, palatine, parietal, and temporal bones respectively.—n.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements) by Various

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