cranial cavity
1
5.3
- noun
- /ˈkreɪniəl ˈkævɪti/
- Specialized
:
cavidad craneal
- Similar efforts have been undertaken to use CT to identify those anatomic variations that can predispose surgeons to making an inadvertent penetration of the orbit or cranial cavity.
Examples
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It was the undeveloped fetus of what, had it not somehow become imprisoned in his own cranial cavity, would have been his twin brother.
Fiction book (1997) -
During the operation, the doctor focused on the cranial cavity to remove the tumor affecting the patient's brain.
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Evidence of deep penetrating wounds... in each ocular orbit... entering into the cranial cavity.
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The brain tissue was macerated and removed using forceps and cotton, and the cranial cavity was washed with a jet of water.
Academic text (2014) -
The surgeon carefully examined the cranial cavity to assess any damage to the brain after the accident.
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An MRI scan showed that the pressure inside the cranial cavity had increased significantly, indicating a need for intervention.
Synonyms
The space inside the skull that holds the brain
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'space within the skull that houses the brain' is directly and compositionally derivable from 'cranial' (relating to the skull) + 'cavity' (a hollow or space). Although somewhat technical, the adjective+noun composition follows a regular, cross-linguistic pattern, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
The noun cranial cavity comes from words that mean 'skull' and 'hollow space'. The word cranial relates to the 'skull' and cavity means a hollow or 'space', so the phrase literally names the hollow inside the skull that holds and protects the brain.