auriculocranial
|au-ri-cu-lo-cra-ni-al|
🇺🇸
/ˌɔːrɪkjʊˈloʊˈkreɪniəl/
🇬🇧
/ˌɔːrɪkjʊləʊˈkreɪniəl/
relating to ear and skull
Etymology
'auriculocranial' originates from New Latin, combining the prefix 'auriculo-' from Latin 'auricula' meaning 'little ear' (diminutive of 'auris', 'ear') and 'cranial' from Greek 'kranion' via Latin 'cranium' meaning 'skull'.
'auriculocranial' was formed in modern medical English by combining the bound form 'auriculo-' + 'cranial' (a 19th–20th century coinage pattern in anatomical terminology) to denote relationships between the auricle and cranium.
Initially it meant 'pertaining to the auricle and cranium'; it has remained a specialized medical/technical adjective with that same core meaning.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
relating to both the auricle (external ear) and the cranium (skull).
The surgeon evaluated the auriculocranial proportions before planning the reconstructive procedure.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/20 20:40