mastoid process
1
6.1
- noun
- /ˈmæstɔɪd ˈprɑːsɛs/
- Specialized
:
apófisis mastoides
- Fleming reported a case of osteoma of the mastoid process associated with unilateral hypertrophy of the mandible.
Examples
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Booth, the two bruises on the mastoid process were inflicted by two knuckles on Broadsky's right fist.
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The doctor explained that the mastoid process is located just behind the ear.
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Type 1: A fracture line travels across the mastoid process.
Academic text (1998) -
However, Morocco reported a case of multiple osteomas of the mastoid process that were growing from the inner table.
Academic text (2008) -
Rinker's bat came up, and she hit Dale again, this time in the mastoid process behind the left ear.
Fiction book (2000) -
Type 2: A fracture line travels across the mastoid process and extends to the external auditory canal.
Academic text (1998) -
An extended clavicle, oversized sternum, displaced mastoid process--
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♪ There appears to be some sort of faint bruising over the mastoid process.
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Examination revealed a firm 2.5-cm mass over the posterosuperior border of the right sternocleidomastoid muscle, inferior to the mastoid process.
Academic text (2001) -
I next performed a revision mastoidectomy and found fibrous granulation tissue in the mastoid process (Figure 2).
Academic text (2003)
Synonyms
1
8.9
A bone behind the ear that you can feel as a small bump on the head
A bony bump behind the ear at the base of the skull
Surface Forms
Morphology
The headword 'process' has the technical sense 'a bony projection', so combining it with a modifier yields a compositional label meaning 'the projection that is mastoid', giving partial compositional cues. However 'mastoid' is itself a specialised anatomical term (often defined circularly with the phrase 'mastoid process') and requires domain knowledge, so the meaning is not fully predictable for a B1 learner who merely knows the constituent words.
Etymology
Mastoid process comes from a Greek word: mastoid meant 'breast' because the bone makes a rounded bump like a small breast or nipple, and process means 'projection' or 'bump'. So the name shows its meaning: the mastoid process is the bony bump just behind the ear.