occipital bone

noun

Definition of occipital bone

: a compound bone that forms the posterior part of the skull and bears a condyle by which the skull articulates with the atlas

Examples of occipital bone in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web And on his occipital bone, at the very base of the back of his skull, archaeologists found a fracture with sharp, linear edges—the work of a cutting blow from a heavy, edged weapon. — Kiona N. Smith, Ars Technica, 1 Oct. 2019 In addition, signs of decapitation were found on the occipital bones. — Fox News, 19 Sep. 2019 The occipital bone is the main bone of the lower part of the skull. — Maggie O'neill, Health.com, 20 June 2019 Another bullet fractured her occipital bone, near the base of her neck, and the third struck the upper chest, the report said. — Erin Hegarty, Elgin Courier-News, 30 Apr. 2018 The occipital bone is the main bone of the lower part of the skull. — Maggie O'neill, Health.com, 20 June 2019 Another bullet fractured her occipital bone, near the base of her neck, and the third struck the upper chest, the report said. — Erin Hegarty, Elgin Courier-News, 30 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'occipital bone.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries Near occipital bone

occipital arch

occipital bone

occipital condyle

Statistics for occipital bone

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“Occipital bone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/occipital%20bone. Accessed 27 Sep. 2021.

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More Definitions for occipital bone

occipital bone

noun

Medical Definition of occipital bone

: a compound bone that forms the posterior part of the skull and surrounds the foramen magnum, bears the condyles for articulation with the atlas, is composed of four united elements, is much curved and roughly trapezoidal in outline, ends in front of the foramen magnum in the basilar process, and bears on its external surface behind the foramen magnum the two curved transverse superior and inferior nuchal lines as well as the median external occipital crest and external occipital protuberance