Site name and logo

Cymbocephalic

Pronounced /ˌsɪmbəʊsɪˈfælɪk/Help with pronunciation

I flew to the medical dictionaries for elucidation on this word, which formally refers to a person having an abnormally long and narrow skull, misshapen due to a congenital condition. What happens is that one or more of the sutures in the head — fibrous joints between the bones of the skull — close before the brain has finished growing.

The condition is recorded under many different names, depending on which sutures are involved and the shape of the resulting deformation; some of the other terms are acrocephaly (Greek akron, tip), dolichocephaly (Greek dolikos, long), plagiocephaly (Greek plagios, slanting), brachycephaly (Greek brakus, short), trigonocephaly (Greek trigonos, three-cornered), tectocephaly (Latin tectum, a roof), oxycephaly (Greek oxus, sharp), and scaphocephaly (Greek skaphos, a light boat or skiff).

In all these terms, the last element is from Greek kephale, head. In cymbocephalic the first part is from another Greek word for a small boat, kymbe.

Support this website and keep it available!

There are no adverts on this site. I rely on the kindness of visitors to pay the running costs. Donate via PayPal by selecting your currency from the list and clicking Donate. Specify the amount you wish to give on the PayPal site.

Copyright © Michael Quinion, 1996–. All rights reserved.

Page created 26 Jul 2003; Last updated 28 Jan 2005