Petrosal
/ˈpɛt.rə.səl/noun
Relating to the petrous part of the temporal bone, especially the dense portion near the base of the skull.
Did you know?Petrosal comes from the same ancient Greek root as Peter and petroleum: a root for “rock” that spread into anatomy, saints, and even “rock oil.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*per-
“to rock, stone, or harden”
Ancient Greek
Greek
petra
“rock, stone”
Late Latin
Latin
petrosus
“stony, rocky”
14th Century
English
petrosal
“rocky; later, in anatomy, of the petrous part of the temporal bone”
Modern English
English
petrosal
“relating to the petrous portion of the temporal bone”