microcephalus

9.9

A person born with a very small head and a small brain

noun
/ˌmaɪ.kroʊˈsɛf.əl.əs/

Specialized

: microcéfalo

The doctor explained that microcephalus is a congenital condition affecting the size of the head.

Examples

Children with microcephalus often face developmental challenges due to their underdeveloped brains.
Parents of a child diagnosed with microcephalus should seek early intervention services for better support.
MAP: Figure 155. Total tagging distribution for the Greenland shark, Somniosus microcephalus, from the NMFS Cooperative Shark Tagging Program during 1962-93.

Academic text (1998)
MAP: Figure 157. Recapture distribution for the Greenland shark, Somniosus microcephalus, from the NMFS Cooperative Shark Tagging Program during 1962-93.

Academic text (1998)
The number of sharks tagged varies from 22 for the Greenland shark, Somniosus microcephalus, to 60,856 for the blue shark. Most species (27) have more than 100 sharks tagged.

Academic text (1998)

Antonyms

macrocephaly

Specialized

1 9.9

A condition in which a person has an unusually large head

How Small

microcephalus

Specialized

9.9

macrocephalous

Specialized

9.9

Surface Forms

microcephalus singular

microcephali plural

Morphology

microcephalus = micro + cephal + us

The word is built from a learned scientific combining form meaning 'head' plus micro-, but the middle element is not a recognizable everyday English base for an average B1 learner.

Etymology

Microcephalus comes from Greek parts micro- 'small' and cephal- 'head'. So, it literally means 'small head' and is used for a person born with a much smaller skull and reduced brain development.