cerebrospinal fluid

noun

: a colorless liquid that is comparable to serum, is secreted from the blood into the lateral ventricles of the brain, and serves chiefly to maintain uniform pressure within the brain and spinal cord

Examples of cerebrospinal fluid in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

One possibility is that the rhythm helps the brain clean itself by moving cerebrospinal fluid that washes away metabolic waste — a process already proposed for mammals. —Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 24 Jan. 2026

All of the children had low levels of folate in their cerebrospinal fluid. —Jon Hamilton, NPR, 22 Jan. 2026

In August 2023, after nearly two years of relentless migraines, endless testing and advocating for herself, doctors officially diagnosed Meredith with a spinal cerebrospinal fluid leak (CSF), which also caused Intracranial Hypotension Spontaneous. —Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 17 Jan. 2026

According to the Cleveland Clinic, treatment for this often reversible condition involves placing a shunt in the skull to drain excess cerebrospinal fluid. —Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 5 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1828, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for cerebrospinal fluid

• druid

Kids Definition

cerebrospinal fluid

noun

ce·​re·​bro·​spi·​nal fluid

sə-ˌrē-brō-ˌspīn-ᵊl-

: a colorless fluid that occupies the cavities of the brain and spinal cord and the space between these and the membranes surrounding them

Medical Definition

cerebrospinal fluid

noun

: a liquid that is comparable to serum but contains less dissolved material, that is secreted from the blood into the lateral ventricles of the brain by the choroid plexus, circulates through the ventricles to the spaces between the meninges about the brain and spinal cord, and is resorbed into the blood through the subarachnoid sinuses, and that serves chiefly to maintain uniform pressure within the brain and spinal cord

called also spinal fluid

compare lymph