ethmoid

noun

eth·​moid ˈeth-ˌmȯid 

: a light spongy cubical bone forming much of the walls of the nasal cavity and part of those of the orbits

ethmoid

ˈeth-ˌmȯid 

adjective

or ethmoidal

(ˌ)eth-ˈmȯi-dᵊl 

Examples of ethmoid in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The study mapped this complex network by CT-scanning the cadaver of a domestic short hair cat, revealing the intricate folds and passageways winding through the cat’s ethmoid bone. —Matt Hrodey, Discover Magazine, 8 July 2023

Word History

Etymology

French ethmoïde, from Greek ēthmoeidēs, literally, like a strainer, from ēthmos strainer

First Known Use

1842, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

ethmoid

1 of 2 adjective

eth·​moid ˈeth-ˌmȯid 

variants or ethmoidal

eth-ˈmȯid-ᵊl 

: of, relating to, adjoining, or being one or more bones of the walls and septum of the nasal cavity

ethmoid

2 of 2 noun

: ethmoid bone