Pterion
/ˈtɛəriən/noun
The junction on the side of the skull where the frontal, parietal, temporal, and sphenoid bones meet.
Did you know?The pterion is one of the skull’s weakest regions, and a fracture there can rupture the middle meningeal artery, causing a dangerous epidural hematoma.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*pterh₂-
“To fly; a reconstructed root associated with wings and feathers.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
πτερόν (pterón)
“Wing or feather.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
πτερίον (pteríon)
“Little wing; a diminutive form of pterón.”
19th Century
New Latin
pterion
“The wing-shaped junction of bones on the lateral skull.”
Modern English
English
pterion
“The anatomical meeting point of four skull bones.”
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