cranial

adjective

cra·​ni·​al ˈkrā-nē-əl How to pronounce cranial (audio)
1
: of or relating to the skull or cranium
2
cranially adverb

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web In this specific instance, the fact that every skull found has some sort of cranial appendage (such as antlers on a deer skull), indicates that Level 3 of the Cueva Des-Cubierta could have been some sort of trophy room, according to the study. Mac Stone, Discover Magazine, 3 Feb. 2023 This species was previously known only by cranial remains and a partial femur, but in August a team led by Guillaume Daver and Franck Guy from the University of Poitiers reinterpreted the femur (upper leg bone) and described two ulnae (forearm bones). Ryan Mcrae And Briana Pobiner, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Dec. 2022 The initiative has been solidified as part of the park’s programming, which includes weekly meditation and sound healing, yoga, and a complimentary sanación clinic that offers reiki, cupping, massages, smoke cleanse and cranial sacral healing on the first Tuesday of every month. Laura Rodríguez Presa, Chicago Tribune, 31 July 2022 Binello suggests the extreme measure of cranial surgery might have been adopted as a last resort by a caring family. Brian Handwerk, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Feb. 2023 The finding marks the earliest example of trephination, a type of cranial surgery, found in the ancient Near East. Trephination, also known as trepanation, involves cutting a hole in the skull — and there are examples of the medical procedure dating back thousands of years. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 22 Feb. 2023 Such a process ordinarily requires invasive cranial surgery, but Inner Cosmos said its brain-computer interface, or BCI, can be placed by shaving a millimeters-thin layer from the top of the skull and installing the implant in the resulting indentation. Sarah Mcbride, Bloomberg.com, 30 Mar. 2022 While cranial surgery appears to be the most likely explanation for the hole, things did not end well for the cow. Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, 19 Apr. 2018 After Arroyave and her husband welcomed Dove in February 2020, the little girl struggled with serious health issues and required neurosurgery and a cranial helmet to aid in reshaping and recovery. Angela Andaloro, Peoplemag, 23 Mar. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cranial.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1800, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cranial was in 1800

Dictionary Entries Near cranial

Cite this Entry

“Cranial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cranial. Accessed 2 Jun. 2023.

Kids Definition

cranial

adjective
cra·​ni·​al ˈkrā-nē-əl How to pronounce cranial (audio)
: of, relating to, or directed toward the skull or cranium

Medical Definition

cranial

adjective
cra·​ni·​al ˈkrā-nē-əl How to pronounce cranial (audio)
1
: of or relating to the skull or cranium
2
: cephalic
the cranial end of the spinal column
cranially adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on cranial

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