Bregma
/ˈbrɛɡmə/noun
The anatomical landmark where the frontal and parietal bones meet at the top of the skull.
Did you know?In Ancient Greek, bregma was associated with wetness because an infant’s fontanelle—the soft spot on the skull—was believed to remain moist or vulnerable.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*merǵʰ-
“To dip, soak, or make wet”
Ancient Greek
Greek
βρέχω (bréchō)
“To wet, moisten, or rain”
Ancient Greek
Greek
βρέγμα (brégma)
“The wet or moist part; the front or top of the skull”
2nd Century
Greek
bregma
“The skull’s frontal region or the soft area where cranial bones meet”
17th Century
New Latin
bregma
“An anatomical term for the junction of the frontal and parietal bones”
Modern English
English
bregma
“The skull landmark at the meeting point of the coronal and sagittal sutures”