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Glite Dictionary
occipitomastoid suture

occipitomastoid suture

9.9
A seam where the back and side bones of the skull meet
  • noun
  • /ˌɑːkɪpɪtəˈmæstɔɪd ˈsuːtʃər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : suturo occipitomastoideo
  • The occipitomastoid suture connects the occipital bone to the temporal bone.

Examples

  • The occipitomastoid suture is easily identified during a cranial dissection.

  • The occipitomastoid suture is located at the back of the head, where the occipital and temporal bones meet.

  • Damage near the occipitomastoid suture can affect structures at the base of the skull.

  • On X-ray, the occipitomastoid suture appears as a faint line joining the occipital and temporal bones.

  • In anatomy, the occipitomastoid sutures are important landmarks.

  • Surgeons must be careful when operating near the occipitomastoid suture to avoid damaging critical nerves.

  • The occipitomastoid suture can be observed during a detailed examination of the skull's structure.

Surface Forms

occipitomastoid suture singular
occipitomastoid sutures plural

Morphology

occipitomastoid + suture

The phrase denotes a specific anatomical joint using technical morphemes (occipito-, mastoid) that are not part of general B1 vocabulary; knowing only the common word 'suture' would not let a learner identify which bones are joined. Because the crucial constituent is specialized and domain-specific rather than a transparent everyday combination, the meaning is not derivable for an average B1 learner.

Etymology

Occipitomastoid suture names the seam where the bone at the back of the head (occipito) meets the bone behind the ear (mastoid). So, the term refers to 'the joint between these two bones'.