occipital

American  

[ok-sip-i-tl] / ɒkˈsɪp ɪ tl /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or situated near the occiput or the occipital bone.

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noun

1. any of several parts of the occiput, especially the occipital bone.

occipital British  

/ ɒkˈsɪpɪtəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to the back of the head or skull

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noun

1. short for occipital bone

Other Word Forms

• occipitally adverb
• preoccipital adjective
• superoccipital adjective

Etymology

Origin of occipital

1535–45; < Medieval Latin occipitālis, equivalent to Latin occipit- (stem of occiput ) occiput + -ālis -al ¹

Example Sentences

The 25-year-old revealed in March that she sustained a "left occipital infarct" last year but there was no lasting damage to her brain or vision.

From BBC • Dec. 9, 2024

In a post on social media, external-link Roebuck said tests found she had suffered a "left occipital infarct" but there was no lasting damage to her brain or vision.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2024

A study published last year in the Journal of Neuroscience revealed that canines’ brain has a direct connection between their olfactory bulb, which processes smell, and their occipital lobe, which processes vision.

From Scientific American • Oct. 4, 2023

No such association was found for other memory-relevant brain areas in the occipital cortex -- they were equally active in individuals with all levels of memory performance.

From Science Daily • Sep. 25, 2023

Together we discussed and gravely considered the relative merits of side compression straps, spindrift collars, crampon patches, load transfer differentials, air-flow channels, webbing loops, and something called the occipital cutout ratio.

From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson