Meanings
- archaicnot comparablebiologyWithout a brain.
Similar loops were observed by the same anatomist in the cranial nerves of an anencephalous fœtus which had been preserved in spirits
1857, Robert Bentley Todd, The Physiological Anatomy and Physiology of ManSynonyms: anencephalic
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveWithout a brain.
More synonyms by meaning
adjectivecharacterized by partial or total absence of a brain
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Ancient Greekἀνεγκέφαλος“brainless”
- Englishanencephalous
From Ancient Greek ἀνεγκέφαλος (anenképhalos, “brainless”), from ἀν- (an-, “not”) + ἐγκέφαλος (enképhalos, “brain”).
More words from Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
anencephalous. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anencephalous
“anencephalous.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anencephalous. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “anencephalous,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anencephalous.
Source: anencephalous on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.