sphenion

9.9

The front tip of the skull bone at the upper side of the head

noun
/ˈsfeniən/

Specialized

: esfenoides

The sphenion is located at the front of the parietal bone.

Examples

Can you identify the sphenion on the skull diagram?
The surgeon carefully located the sphenion during the procedure to avoid damaging nearby structures.
Damage to the area near the sphenion can affect the structural integrity of the skull.
In the anatomy textbook, the sphenion is marked as a reference point for measurements.
The surgeon carefully located the sphenion during the procedure to avoid damaging nearby structures.
In the anatomy textbook, the sphenion is marked as a reference point for measurements.
Can you identify the sphenion on the skull diagram?

Surface Forms

sphenion singular

sphenions plural

Morphology

sphenion = sphen + ion

Formed from the combining form 'sphen-' plus the noun-forming suffix '-ion'; 'sphen-' is not a standalone modern English word and the meaning is highly specialized anatomical terminology, so learners cannot reliably derive the sense from common vocabulary.

Etymology

Sphenion comes from the Greek root sphen- meaning 'wedge'. So, the sphenion is the small wedge-shaped tip of the parietal bone in the skull, and the name helps you remember its little, wedge-like shape.