Sphygmoid
/ˈsfɪɡ.mɔɪd/noun
Resembling a pulse or pulse wave, especially in shape or movement.
Did you know?Its root is the same Greek word behind *sphygmology* and *sphygmograph*, terms built from *sphygmos* meaning “pulse,” once central to reading the body like an omen.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
σφυγμός (sphygmós)
“pulse; beating of the heart”
Late Greek
Greek
-ειδής (-eidḗs)
“form, shape, likeness”
19th Century
English
sphygmoid
“having the form or character of a pulse”
Modern English
English
sphygmoid
“resembling a pulse or pulse wave”
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