cephalo-

1. a combining form meaning “head,” used in the formation of compound words:

   cephalometry.

cephalo-

combining_form

1. indicating the head

   cephalopod

Word History and Origins

Origin of cephalo-¹

< Greek kephalo-, combining form of kephalḗ head; akin to gable

Word History and Origins

Origin of cephalo-¹

via Latin from Greek kephalo-, from kephale head

Example Sentences

In a history of that interdisciplinary program, one former student recalled that Dr. Kennedy climbed onto a lab table at the front of the lecture hall and assumed a quadruped position “to demonstrate to us the concepts of dorsal, ventral, cephalo and caudal.”

From Washington Post

Enraged at this, she tells her father that she will not be appeased until married to Cephalo.

From Project Gutenberg

But she loses her life through the falling of an old, dilapidated castle wherein she has been keeping an unconventional tryst, and Cephalo becomes the intimate friend of the painter.

From Project Gutenberg

Alberto has no will at all, Leda not much, Cephalo less than Leda, and Danae is without character.

From Project Gutenberg

Briefly stated, the plot is as follows: Leda, the daughter of a Roman duke, loves Cephalo, who is a gentleman but not a nobleman, and is loved by him.

From Project Gutenberg

Words That Use cephalo-

What does cephalo- mean?

Cephalo- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “head.” It is often used in medical and scientific terms.

Cephalo- comes from the Greek kephalḗ, meaning “head.”

What are variants of cephalo-?

When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, cephalo- becomes cephal-, as in cephalalgia.

Corresponding forms of cephalo- combined to the end of words are –cephaly, –cephalic, and –cephalous, which you can learn more about in our Words That Use articles for each form.

Also deriving from kephalḗ are the combining forms encephalo- and encephal-, meaning “brain.”

Want to know more? Read our Words That Use encephalo- and encephal- articles.

Examples of cephalo-

A scientific term you may have heard of that features cephalo- is cephalopod, a name for a class of mollusks that include the cuttlefish, squid, and octopus.

Cephalopod is based on the New Latin Cephalopoda, which is ultimately based on the Greek kephalḗ and poús, meaning “foot.” The latter root, poús, is the source of -pod, a combining form meaning “one having a foot.” A cephalopod literally translates to “head-foot,” a reference to the appearance of the animals. Ever see an octopus? It definitely looks like their legs (tentacles) are attached to a big head.

What are some words that use the combining form cephalo-?

• cephalocele
• cephalogyric
• cephalohematoma
• cephalometer
• cephalometry
• cephalopathy

Break it down!

The combining form –odynia means “pain.” With this and the meaning of cephalo- in mind, what is an everyday word for cephalodynia?