sphenoid
/ˈsfiː.nɔɪd/ adjective, noun
Forms sphenoids
- adjective Having a wedge shape.
- adjective (anatomy) Of or relating to the sphenoid bone which forms the base of the cranium, behind the eye and below the front part of the brain. It has two pairs of broad lateral ‘wings’ and a number of other projections, and contains two air-filled sinuses.
- noun (anatomy) The sphenoid bone.
- noun (crystallography) A wedge-shaped crystal bounded by four equal isosceles triangles; the hemihedral form of a square pyramid.
Synonyms
Etymology
From New Latin sphenoides, from Ancient Greek σφηνοειδής (sphēnoeidḗs, “wedge-shaped”), from σφήν (sphḗn, “wedge”) + -ειδής (-eidḗs, “-form, -like”).
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Wedge-shaped; as, a sphenoid crystal.
- adjective Of or pertaining to the sphenoid bone. Sphenoid bone (Anat.), an irregularly shaped bone in front of the occipital in the base of the skull of the higher vertebrates. It is composed of several fetal bones which become united the adult. See Alisphenoid, Basisphenoid, Orbitosphenoid, Presphenoid.
- noun A wedge-shaped crystal bounded by four equal isosceles triangles. It is the hemihedral form of a square pyramid.
- noun The sphenoid bone.
Etymology [Gr. sphénoïde.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “sphenoid”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details