mastoid process

American  

noun

1. a large, bony prominence on the base of the skull behind the ear, containing air spaces that connect with the middle ear cavity.

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mastoid process Scientific  

/ măs′toid′ /

1. A protruding bony area in the lower part of the skull that is located behind the ear in humans and many other vertebrates and serves as a site of muscle attachment. The mastoid process contains small air-filled cavities called mastoid cells that communicate with the middle ear.

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Etymology

Origin of mastoid process

First recorded in 1725–35

Example Sentences

For example, a small change of direction on the mastoid process, a bony projection behind the ear, indicates whether a person has detached or attached earlobes.

From The Guardian

Further, a prominence called the mastoid process is notched at the back, not smooth.

From New York Times

The tumor first appears in the depression between the mastoid process and the ramus of the jaw, which it fills up, and at the same time thrusts outward the lobe of the ear.

From Project Gutenberg

Pain in left neck behind mastoid process, running backward and upward.

From Project Gutenberg

Behind the glenoid cavity is found the external auditory canal, and, further back still, the mastoid process.

From Project Gutenberg