sphenoid
NounOpen English WordNet
Noun (1)
- butterfly-shaped bone at the base of the skullSynonyms: sphenoid boneos sphenoidaleType of bone, osPart of skullParts pterygoid process, crotaphion
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Webster's Dictionary (1913)
Sphe′noid adjective
Origin: Gr. …; σφήν a wedge + εἶδος form: cf. F. sphénoïde.
1. Wedge-shaped; as, a sphenoid crystal.
2. Anatomy Of or pertaining to the sphenoid bone.
Sphenoid bone Anatomy, 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.
Sphe′noid noun
1. Crystallography A wedge-shaped crystal bounded by four equal isosceles triangles. It is the hemihedral form of a square pyramid.
2. Anatomy The sphenoid bone.
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54