scaphocephaly

or scaph·o·ceph·a·lism

[ skaf-uh-sef-uh-lee ]

noun

, Pathology.

1. premature closure of the sagittal suture resulting in a deformed skull having an elongated, keellike shape.

Other Words From

• scaph·o·ce·phal·ic [skaf-oh-s, uh, -, fal, -ik], scapho·cepha·lous adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of scaphocephaly¹

First recorded in 1900–05; scapho- + -cephaly

Example Sentences

But of these fifty-eight school children only one had four abnormalities—malformed ears, strabismus, prognathism, and slight scaphocephaly.

From Project Gutenberg

Sir Walter Scott had a skull in which premature closure of the sagittal suture produced the appearance of scaphocephaly, but compensation for this elsewhere produced a decidedly different type.

From Project Gutenberg