anencephaly

[ an-en-sef-uh-lee ]

noun

, Medicine/Medical.

1. congenital absence of part or all of the brain.

Other Words From

• an·en·ce·phal·ic [an-en-s, uh, -, fal, -ik, an-en-], anen·cepha·lous adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of anencephaly¹

From New Latin, dating back to 1825–35; an- ¹, encephal-, -y ³