subdural
Americanadjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of subdural
First recorded in 1870–75; from Swedish; sub- ( def. ) + dural ( def. )
Explanation
Something that's subdural is located under the outermost membrane that protects the brain. After a nasty tackle, a football player might be diagnosed with a subdural hematoma, or bleeding on the brain. You'll almost always come across the adjective subdural in a medical context — either at the doctor's office or in a an anatomy textbook, for example. It's used for something beneath the outer layer of membranes around the brain, which are known as the dura or dura mater. Add the Latin prefix sub- ("under") to dura and you get subdural, or "under the dura."
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.
Katy Skerrett, senior coroner for Gloucestershire, reached a conclusion of accidental death and said Dame Jilly, 88, died as a result of a traumatic subdural haematoma.
From BBC • Nov. 11, 2025
He said he suffered “a small subdural hematoma, a little rim of bleeding in the space around the brain,” and a cervical fracture.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 15, 2023
Watts’ career was interrupted on Nov. 14, 2002, when he was stricken by a subdural hematoma before a scheduled performance with the Pacific Symphony at the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa, California.
From Seattle Times • Jul. 14, 2023
Sometimes older people suffer slow bleeds after hitting their heads, known as subdural hematomas, which can cause confusion, paralysis and even death if the pressure is allowed to gradually build up.
From Washington Post • Nov. 2, 2022
It may also be due to an extravasation of blood or to exudation in the subdural or arachnoid spaces.
From Special Report on Diseases of the Horse by Michener, Charles B.
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.
