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Glite Dictionary
mastoid bone

mastoid bone

6.5
A bony bump behind the ear at the base of the skull
  • noun
  • /ˈmæstɔɪd boʊn/
  • Specialized
translation icon : hueso mastoides
  • The mastoid bone is located just behind the ear.

Examples

  • The surgeon made an incision behind the ear to access the mastoid bone.

  • Infections of the mastoid bone can lead to serious complications if left untreated.

  • She felt pain and swelling near her mastoid bone after the ear infection worsened.

  • Did you know that the mastoid bone can become infected?

  • The surgeon explained the procedure to remove fluid from the area surrounding the mastoid bone.

  • After the accident, the doctor examined the mastoid bone for any signs of fracture.

  • Inflammation near the mastoid bone can cause ear pain and discomfort.

Synonyms

mastoid
vsmastoid bone
  • Specialized
1 8.9

A bone behind the ear that you can feel as a small bump on the head

is the fuller anatomical phrase used more in formal contexts
mastoid process
vsmastoid bone
  • Specialized
1 6.1

A bony bump behind the ear at the base of the skull

is the simpler and less technical term used in general descriptions

Surface Forms

mastoid bone singular
mastoid bones plural

Morphology

mastoid + bone

The noun phrase simply combines the anatomical term 'mastoid' (the mastoid process, a bony protrusion) with 'bone', so a learner who knows both constituent words can directly infer it refers to the bone at the mastoid. This is a compositional, technical label typical of anatomical terminology and is cross-linguistically transparent.

Etymology

Mastoid bone comes from Greek parts: mast- meaning 'breast' and -oid meaning 'like', because the round bump behind the ear looked a bit like a small breast or nipple. So the name now means 'the bony bump behind the ear'.