Meanings
adjectivesphenoid (not comparable)
- not comparableHaving a wedge shape.
- not comparableanatomyOf or relating to the sphenoid bone which forms the base of the cranium, behind the eye and below the front part of the brain. It has two pairs of broad lateral ‘wings’ and a number of other projections, and contains two air-filled sinuses.
nounsphenoid (plural sphenoids)
plural sphenoids
- anatomyThe sphenoid bone.
- chemistryA wedge-shaped crystal bounded by four equal isosceles triangles; the hemihedral form of a square pyramid.
Synonyms & antonyms
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Ancient Greekσφηνοειδής“wedge-shaped”
- New Latinsphenoides
- Englishsphenoid
From New Latin sphenoides, from Ancient Greek σφηνοειδής (sphēnoeidḗs, “wedge-shaped”), from σφήν (sphḗn, “wedge”) + -ειδής (-eidḗs, “-form, -like”).
More words from New Latin, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian клиновиден
- клиновиден (klinoviden)wedge-shaped
Catalan esfenoide
- esfenoidewedge-shaped
Czech klínový
- klínovýwedge-shaped
Finnish kiilamainen
- kiilamainenwedge-shaped
Russian клиновидный
- клиновидный (klinovidnyj)wedge-shaped
Spanish esfenoide
- esfenoidewedge-shaped
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with sphenoid
avoidvoidemployeddestroyedLloydFloydBoydunemployedsteroidparanoidannoyedFreudasteroiddevoidandroiddiploidoverjoyedbuoyedalloyedunalloyedvocaloidarticloidboidcloyed
All rhymes →Cite this entry
APA
sphenoid. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sphenoid
MLA
“sphenoid.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sphenoid. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sphenoid,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sphenoid.
Source: sphenoid on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.