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Glite Dictionary
sphenoid bone

sphenoid bone

8.8
A butterfly-shaped bone at the base of the skull that helps form the eye socket and supports the brain
  • noun
  • /ˈsfɛnɔɪd boʊn/
  • Specialized
translation icon : hueso esfenoides
  • The sphenoid bone is crucial for supporting the eyes and forming part of the base of the skull.

Examples

  • Unifocal Langerhans' cell histiocytosis of the skull is rare; when it has occurred, it has been reported in the frontal, temporal, and sphenoid bones and the mandible.

    Academic text (2002)

  • The tumor also involved the squama of the temporal bone, the zygomatic process, and the greater wing of the sphenoid bone.

    Academic text (2005)

  • THEY CAUSE A NARROWING OF THE SPHENOID BONE HERE.

    The Perfect Human Diet (2012)

  • It was postulated that the mechanism of septal involvement was direct subperiosteal extension from the anterior portion of the sphenoid bone, as described by Collins.

    Academic text (2009)

  • Doctors study the shape of the sphenoid bone to understand its role in cranial anatomy.

  • X-rays showed a fracture in the sphenoid bone, which explained the patient's unusual symptoms.

Synonyms

sphenoid
vssphenoid bone
  • Specialized
1 9.9

Butterfly-shaped bone at the skull base that forms part of the eye socket and holds the pituitary gland

focuses on forming several cranial cavities rather than housing a gland
os sphenoidale
vssphenoid bone
  • Specialized
9.9

A butterfly-shaped bone at the base of the skull that helps form the eye sockets and support the brain

is more about forming several cranial cavities rather than mainly the skull floor

Surface Forms

sphenoid bone singular
sphenoid bones plural

Morphology

sphenoid + bone

The phrase is fully compositional: 'sphenoid' names a specific bone and 'bone' identifies its category, so a learner who knows both constituents can infer it denotes the sphenoid bone at the base of the skull. This noun+bone naming pattern is common cross-linguistically (e.g. Spanish 'hueso esfenoides', French 'os sphénoïde'), supporting immediate understandability for learners who know the parts.

Etymology

The word sphenoid bone comes from a Greek word sphenoid meaning 'wedge-shaped'. The bone sits like a small wedge at the base of the skull, helping hold other bones and forming part of the eye socket, so the name explains its shape and job.