os zygomaticum
- noun
- /ˈɑs zaɪɡəˌmætɪkəm/
- Specialized
- The os zygomaticum is often referred to as the cheekbone in everyday language.
Examples
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The surgeon repaired the fractured os zygomaticum after the accident.
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Injuries to the os zygomaticum can affect the shape of the face.
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The os zygomaticum is crucial for facial structure.
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Can you identify the os zygomaticum on the skull?
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The surgeon repaired the fractured os zygomaticum after the accident.
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Injuries to the os zygomaticum can affect the shape of the face.
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The os zygomaticum is often referred to as the cheekbone in everyday language.
Synonyms
A bone below the eye that makes the side of the face stand out
A bone that forms the cheek and part of the eye socket
A bone that forms the cheek below the eye
A bone that forms the cheek below and beside the eye
A bone under the eye that makes the cheek stand out
A bone under the eye that makes the cheek stick out
Surface Forms
Morphology
os + zygomaticum
The compound is fully compositional: 'os' means bone and 'zygomaticum' denotes the zygoma/cheek region, so the phrase literally denotes the zygomatic (cheek) bone. Although the form is Latinized and technical, the meaning follows directly from the constituents and is cross-linguistically comparable in anatomical terminology, so a learner who knows both parts can infer 'cheekbone'.
Etymology
Os zygomaticum comes from old Latin and Greek words. The Latin os means 'bone' and zygomaticum comes from a word for a 'yoke', a bar that joins two parts, so it pictures the bone that links the cheek to the skull and therefore means the 'cheekbone' today.