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Science & Tech > Anatomy > Brain & Skull


Now updated for CSW19. New words, if any, and new inflections of existing words, are shown in red.


acephalic headless.
afterbrain a nontechnical name for the myelencephalon.
alba a white substance found in the brain.
anandamide a brain receptor that is released naturally from neurons and is thought to be associated with the pleasurable effect of certain drugs.
anencephalic lacking a brain.
arachnoid like a cobweb; (noun) the arachnoid membrane, a fine delicate membrane which is the middle of the three meninges enveloping the brain and spinal cord.
betweenbrain the diencephalon.
brachycephalic short-headed, esp having a skull whose breadth is 80 per cent or more of its length; (noun) a short-headed person.
brain that part of the central nervous system that is contained within the skull (verb) to dash out the brains of
brainstem the stem of the brain.
calvaria the upper part of the skull enclosing the brain in vertebrates > CALVARIAS or CALVARIAE.
calvarium (Lat.) the upper part of the skull enclosing the brain in vertebrates.
caudate having a tail; (noun) a basal ganglion of the brain.
cephalic of or pertaining to the head (noun) a medicine for ailments of the head
cephalin a compound of phosphorus found in the brain and nervous tissue.
cerebellar relating to the cerebellum.
cerebellic relating to the cerebellum.
cerebellous relating to the cerebellum.
cerebellum (Lat.) the lower posterior part of the brain, whose function is to coordinate voluntary movements and maintain balance.
cerebral relating to the brain; of a consonant, pronounced with the tongue-tip curled up towards the hard palate (noun) a cerebral consonant
cerebric of, pertaining to, or derived from, the brain.
cerebriform shaped like the brain.
cerebroid like the cerebrum.
cerebrospinal of or relating to the brain and spinal cord.
cerebrum (Lat.) the front and larger part of the brain.
cinerea the grey matter of the brain.
cinereal relating to cinerea, the grey matter of the brain.
cineritious ashy-grey; relating to the grey matter of the brain.
claustrum (Lat.) a thin lamina of gray matter in each cerebral hemisphere of the brain of man.
colliculus a small prominence, as on the surface of the optic lobe of the brain.
cortex (Lat.) the outer layer of certain organs, esp of the brain.
cortical pertaining to the cortex.
cortically (Adv.) CORTICAL, pertaining to the cortex.
craniocerebral involving both cranium and brain.
cuneus a small wedge-shaped structure in the cortex.
diencephalic relating to the diencephalon, the back of the forebrain.
diencephalon the back of the forebrain, connecting the midbrain with the cerebral hemispheres.
dolichocephalic longheaded.
dopamine a chemical found in brain tissue that acts as a neurotransmitter.
encephalic pertaining to the encephalon or brain.
encephalin a chemical found in small quantities in the brain, which relieves pain.
encephaline a chemical found in small quantities in the brain, which relieves pain.
encephaloid like or resembling a brain.
encephalon the contents of the cranium; the brain.
endbrain the telencephalon, the anterior subdivision of the embryonic forebrain or corresponding part of the adult forebrain.
endocranial relating to the endocranium.
endocranium the thick fibrous membrane that lines the cranial cavity and forms the outermost layer of the dura mater.
enkephalin a chemical found in small quantities in the brain, which relieves pain.
enkephaline a chemical found in small quantities in the brain, which relieves pain.
epencephalic relating to the epencephalon, the cerebellum.
epencephalon the cerebellum.
ependyma the epithelial lining of the ventricles of the brain and the canal of the spinal cord.
ependymal having an ependyma, the epithelial lining of the ventricles of the brain and the canal of the spinal cord.
extradural upon or outside the dura mater; (noun) the epidural injection of an anaesthetic esp in childbirth.
falx (Lat.) the sickle-shaped fold of the dura mater on the midline of the brain between the cerebral hemispheres.
forebrain the anterior region of the embryonic brain.
fornix (Lat.) a structure resembling an arch eg in the brain.
glia (Greek) the supporting tissue of the brain and spinal cord.
glial like a glia, the delicate connective tissue framework which supports the nervous matter and blood vessels of the brain and spinal cord.
hindbrain the posterior of the three principal divisions of the brain.
hippocampal relating to the hippocampus.
hippocampus one of two ridges along each lateral ventricle of the brain.
hydroxybutyrate as in gamma hydroxybutyrate, a substance that occurs naturally in the brain, used medically as a sedative but also as a recreational drug and alleged aphrodisiac.
hypothalamus a part of the brain.
interbrain the diencephalon.
intercortical between cortices.
intraparietal within walls, private; situated in the parietal lobe of the brain.
intrathecal introduced into or occurring in the space under the arachnoid membrane of the brain or spinal cord.
intrathecally (Adv.) INTRATHECAL, introduced into or occurring in the space under the arachnoid membrane of the brain or spinal cord.
kephalin a compound of phosphorus found in the brain and nervous tissue.
leptocephalic having a narrow skull.
limbic of or relating to the limbic system in the brain, a part of the brain concerned with basic emotions and with autonomic and olfactory functions.
luteal pertaining to the corpus luteum.
macrocephalic having an abnormally large head or skull.
megacephalic having an unusually large skull.
megalocephalic having an unusually large skull.
meningeal of or pertaining to the meninx, the membrane enclosing the brain and spinal cord.
meninx (Lat.) the membrane enclosing brain and spinal cord.
mesaticephalic intermediate between dolichocephalic and brachycephalic.
mesencephalic relating to the midbrain.
mesencephalon the middle section of the embryonic brain.
mesocephalic having a medium-sized skull; (noun) someone having a medium-sized skull.
mesocrany medium skull breadth.
metencephalic relating to the metencephalon, the anterior segment of the developing vertebrate hindbrain.
metencephalon the anterior segment of the developing vertebrate hindbrain.
microcephalic having a very small head; (noun) someone with a very small head.
midbrain the middle segment of the brain, aka mesencephalon.
myelencephalic of or like the myelencephalon.
myelencephalon the posterior part of the developing vertebrate hindbrain or the corresponding part of the adult brain composed of the medulla oblongata.
neocortex the back of the cortex.
neocortical relating to the neocortex.
neurocoel a cavity in the brain.
neurocoele a cavity in the brain.
neurocognitive relating to cognitive functions closely linked to the function of particular areas, neural pathways, or cortical networks in the brain.
neuroglia the supporting tissue of the brain and spinal cord, etc.
neuroglial relating to the neuroglia, the delicate connective tissue framework which supports the nervous matter and blood vessels of the brain and spinal cord.
orthocephalic having a skull whose breadth is between 70 and 75 per cent of its length.
oxycephalic having a conical skull.
parencephalon a cerebral hemisphere.
pia a membrane of the brain.
pial pertaining to a pia, a membrane of the brain.
platycephalic having the vault of the skull flattened.
pons (Lat.) a bridge of nerve fibres in the brain.
pontal relating to the pons of the brain.
pontic relating to the pons of the brain.
premotor pertaining to a part of the frontal lobe of the brain.
procephalic pertaining to the front of the head.
procerebral relating to the procerebrum, the forebrain, the proencephalon.
procerebrum the forebrain, the proencephalon.
prosencephalic relating to the prosencephalon, the forebrain.
prosencephalon the forebrain.
pulvinar a prominence on the posterior part of the thalamus of the human brain.
rhinencephalic relating to the rhinencephalon, the olfactory lobe of the brain.
rhinencephalon the olfactory lobe of the brain.
rhombencephalon the hindbrain.
scaphocephalic having an abnormally long and narrow boat-shaped skull; (noun) someone having an abnormally long narrow skull.
sensorium the area of the brain that is the seat of sensation.
serotonin a compound occurring in the brain, acting as a neurotransmitter.
skull the bone enclosing the brain; (verb) to strike on the head.
spongioblast any of numerous columnar epithelial cells in the brain and spinal cord that develop into neuroglia.
spongioblastic of or like a spongioblast, any of numerous columnar epithelial cells in the brain and spinal cord that develop into neuroglia.
striatal relating to the corpus striatum, the great ganglion of the forebrain.
striatum (Lat.) the corpus striatum, the great ganglion of the forebrain.
subcortex a part of the cortex.
subcortical of, relating to, involving, or being a part of the brain below the cerebral cortex.
sulcus (Lat.) a groove or furrow in a body, organ, or tissue, esp one between two convolutions of the brain.
tectum (Lat.) a rooflike body structure, esp the dorsal part of the midbrain.
telencephalic relating to the telencephalon.
telencephalon the anterior subdivision of the embryonic forebrain or corresponding part of the adult forebrain.
tentorial relating to a tentorium, a fold of the dura mater.
tentorium (Lat.) a sheet of the dura mater stretched between the cerebrum and the cerebellum.
thalamic of or pertaining to the thalamus, a mass of nervous matter on either side of the third ventricle of the brain.
thalamically (Adv.) THALAMIC, of or pertaining to the thalamus.
thalamus (Lat.) a mass of nervous matter on either side of the third ventricle of the brain.
vermal relating to a vermis, a worm or wormlike structure.
vermis (Lat.) a wormlike structure; esp (more fully vermis cerebelli) the median part of the cerebellum, between the two hemispheres.
zoocephalic animal-headed.
zygon (Greek) a connecting bar; an H-shaped fissure of the brain.