sphenoid
/ˈsfiː.nɔɪd/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.81 in modern English
14
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
2
Syllables
8
Unique Chars
Meaning
adj
adj
Of or relating to the sphenoid bone which forms the base of the cranium, behind the eye and below the front part of the brain. It has two pairs of broad lateral ‘wings’ and a number of other projections, and contains two air-filled sinuses.
noun
The sphenoid bone.
noun
A wedge-shaped crystal bounded by four equal isosceles triangles; the hemihedral form of a square pyramid.
Etymology
From New Latin sphenoides, from Ancient Greek σφηνοειδής (sphēnoeidḗs, “wedge-shaped”), from σφήν (sphḗn, “wedge”) + -ειδής (-eidḗs, “-form, -like”).
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: sphenoides, σφηνοειδής