decussation
|dec-us-sa-tion|
🇺🇸
/ˌdekəˈseɪʃən/
🇬🇧
/ˌdekəˈseɪʃ(ə)n/
X-shaped crossing
Etymology
'decussation' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'decussatio', where the element 'decuss-' is related to 'decussis' (a tally of ten or a cross mark) ultimately from 'decem' meaning 'ten'.
'decussation' passed into English from Medieval/ Late Latin 'decussatio' (and related Medieval Latin forms) and through usage in scientific and medical Latin became the modern English word 'decussation'.
Initially it referred to a mark or grouping associated with 'ten' (a cross or tally); over time it came to denote specifically an X-shaped crossing or the anatomical/botanical crossings described above.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
an anatomical crossing of nerve fibers from one side of the central nervous system to the other (e.g., the pyramidal decussation in the medulla).
The pyramidal decussation is crucial for contralateral motor control.
Synonyms
Noun 2
in botany, an arrangement in which leaves, branches, or other organs are placed in opposite pairs at right angles to the pairs above and below (decussate phyllotaxy).
Many mint family plants exhibit decussation of leaves.
Synonyms
Noun 3
a general crossing in the form of an X or the point at which two things cross.
The decussation of the two paths formed a clear X on the map.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/16 09:09