Meanings
- anatomyThe second cervical vertebra of the spine which forms the pivot upon which the first cervical vertebra (the atlas), which carries the head, rotates.
1 more example
The union of the atlas and epistropheus is described in this section because (1) there is often a direct communication between the synovial cavity of the transverse epistropic and the occipito-atlantal joints; (2) the rotatory movements of the head take place around the dens (odontoid process); and (3) important ligaments from the dens pass over the atlas to the occiput.
1914, Human Anatomy: A Complete Systematic Treatise, page 215Synonyms: axis, vertebra dentata
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe second cervical vertebra of the spine which forms the pivot upon which the first cervical vertebra (the atlas), which carries the head, rotates.
Translations
Finnish kiertonikama
- kiertonikamasecond cervical vertebra
French épistrophée
- épistrophéesecond cervical vertebra
Cite this entry
epistropheus. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/epistropheus
“epistropheus.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/epistropheus. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “epistropheus,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/epistropheus.
Source: epistropheus on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.