Arnold's Glossary of Anatomy

by Dr. M. A. (Toby) Arnold

Modifications & Additions by Deborah Bryce
This anatomical word search engine is dedicated to the memory of Maurice (Toby) Arnold

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V X Z

caecum: Latin = blind.
calcaneus: Latin calx = heel, hence the bone of the heel.
calcar: Latin = a spur.
calcar avis: Latin the spur of a bird, hence a spur-like elevation.
calcarine: Latin calcar = spur, hence spur-shaped.
calf: the soft tissue swelling at the back of the leg.
calix: Latin = a wine-cup (plural - calices).
callosum: Latin callum = hard.
calvaria: Latin calva = bald head, hence the part of the skull containing the brain - i.e. cranium minus the facial skeleton.
calyx: Latin = a wine-cup (plural - calyces).
canal: Latin canalis = a water-pipe or canal.
canaliculus: diminutive of canal.
cancellous: adjective, Latin cancelli = grating or lattice.
canine: adjective, Latin canis = dog.
canthus: Greek kanthos - used at first for rim of eye, then angle between ends of rims.
capillary: Latin capillaris = hair-like, hence a very thin blood vessel.
capitate: adjective, having a caput from Latin capitis = of a head (q.v.).
capitulum: diminutive of caput, Latin = head.
capsule: Latin capsa = box, hence an enclosing sheet.
caput: Latin = head. Capitis - of a head, adjective - capitate = having a head (cf. decapitate).
caput medusae: Latin caput = head, Medusa = Greek mythical female with snake like hair.
cardiac: adjective, Greek kardia = heart.
cardinal: Latin cardinalis = principal, of primary importance.
carina: Latin = a keel.
carneae: Latin carnea = fleshy.
carotid: Greek karoo, to put to sleep (heavy sleep), because compression of the common or internal carotid artery may cause coma.
carpus: Greek = wrist, adjective - carpal.
cartilage: Latin = gristle; adjective - cartilaginous.
caruncle: diminutive of Latin caro = flesh, hence, a small fleshy elevation.
cauda: Latin = tail, adjective - caudate - having a tail.
cauda equina: Latin = a horse's tail.
caudal: Latin cauda = tail, hence toward the tail, inferior (in human anatomy).
caudate: Latin cauda = tail, hence having a tail.
cava: Latin cavum = cave, hollow.
cavernous: Latin containing caverns or cave-like spaces.
cavity: Latin cavitas = a hollow.
cavum: Latin = cave.
cecum: Latin = blind.
celiac: adjective, Greek koilia = belly.
celom: Greek koilos = a hollow
central: adjective, Latin centrum = centre.
centrum: Latin = centre.
cephalic: adjective, Greek kephale = head. The term cephalic, as applied to the cephalic vein, was a mistranslation of Arabic and interpreted to be from the Greek term kephale = head. Arabic al-kifal = outer; the cephalic vein is on outer side of the forearm and arm (compare to basilic).
cerebellum: diminutive of Latin cerebrum = brain.
cerebrum: Latin = brain, adjective - cerebral.
cerumen: Latin cera = wax.
cervical: adjective, Latin cervix = neck, hence, pertaining to the neck.
cervix: Latin = neck, adjective - cervical.
chiasma: Greek kiasma = cross. (The Greek letter chi = c).
choana: Greek = funnel, plural - choanae.
chondral: adjective, Greek chondros = cartilage.
chorda: Latin = cord.
choroid: adjective, Greek chorion = skin and eidos = shape or form, hence, like a membrane.
chyle: Greek = juice.
chyli: Greek = juice.
ciliary: adjective, Latin cilia = eyelashes.
cilium: Latin = eyelid, hence, an eyelash; adjective - ciliary, or ciliated.
cinereum: Latin cineris = of ashes.
cingulum: Latin girdle or belt, adjective - cingulate.
circumflex: verb and adjective, Latin circum = around, and flexere = to bend, hence, bend or bent around.
cisterna: Latin = a cistern.
claustrum: Latin clausum = closed, hence a barrier.
clavicle: diminutive of Latin clavis = key - old Roman key was S-shaped.
cleido: Greek, cleis = key, a combining form denoting relationship to the clavicle.
clinoid: adjective, Greek kline = bed, eidos = shape or form, hence, like a bed-post.
clivus: Latin = slope (cf. declivity).
cloaca: Latin = a drain, sewer; common opening for intestinal, urinary and genital tracts in lower vertebrates, it is a transitory structure in human embryological development.
coccyx: Greek kokkyx = cuckoo, whose bill the coccyx resembles.
cochlea: Latin = snail, hence the spiral cochlea, adjective - cochlear.
coeliac: adjective, Greek koilia = belly.
coeruleus: adjective, Latin = blue, hence, locus coeruleus, a group of nerve cells in the rostral pons coloured blue or black by melanin.
coli: Latin = of the colon.
collateral: adjective, Latin con = together, and latus = side, hence, alongside.
colli: genetive (possessive case) of collum, Latin = neck
colliculus: diminutive of Latin collis = hill.
collum: Latin = neck (cf. collar).
colon: Greek kolon = large intestine.
columna: Latin = column, or pillar.
comitans: adjective, Latin = accompanying.
commissure: Latin con = together, and missum = sent, hence fibres which cross between symmetrical parts.
communicans: adjective, Latin = communicating.
concha: Latin = shell.
condyle: Greek kondylos = knuckle.
confluens: Latin con = together, and fluens = flowing, hence the meeting of more than one stream.
conjunctiva: Latin con = with, and junctus = joined (cf. junction), hence the continuous bulbar and palpebral lining membrane.
conoid: Greek konoeides = resembling a cone, cone shape
constrictor: Latin con = together, and strictum = drawn tight, hence, producing narrowing.
contour: Greek tornos = lathe, hence a line which turns - an outline.
contralateral: Latin contra = against, latus = side, hence, the opposite side (as opposed to ipsilateral)
conus: Latin = cone, conus medullaris - the lower end of the spinal cord.
coracoid: adjective, Greek korax = a crow, and eidos = shape or form, hence, like a crow's beak.
cornea: Latin cornu = horn, hence, the dense tissue forming the front of the eyeball.
corniculate: Latin = shaped like a small horn.
cornu: Latin = horn.
corona: Latin = crown. adjective - coronary or coronal; hence a coronal plane is parallel to the main arch of a crown which passes from ear to ear (cf. coronal suture).
coronal: Latin corona = crown; hence a coronal plane is parallel to the main arch of a crown which passes from ear to ear (cf. coronal suture).
coronary: adjective, Latin = crown, hence, encircling like a crown.
coronoid: adjective, Greek korone = a crown, eidos = shape or form, hence, shaped like a crown.
corpus: Latin = body, plural - corpora.
corpuscle: Latin = a little body.
corrugator: Latin con = together, and ruga = wrinkle, hence a muscle that produces wrinkles.
cortex: Latin = bark, adjective, cortical.
costa: Latin = rib. adjective - costal.
coxa: Latin = hip, hence os coxae = the hip bone.
cranium: Greek kranion = skull. (In anthropology = skull minus mandible) adjective - cranial.
cremaster: Greek = suspender, hence the muscle which suspends the testis.
cribriform: adjective, Latin cribrum = sieve, hence, sieve-like.
cricoid: adjective, Greek krikos = ring, and eidos = shape or form, hence, ring-like, i.e. circular.
crista: Latin = crest, crista galli = the (median) crest of a cock.
cruciate: adjective, Latin crux = cross, hence, crossed like the letter X.
crus: Latin = leg, plural - crura.
cubital: adjective, Latin cubitus = elbow.
cuboid: adjective, Greek kuboides = cube-shaped.
culmen: Latin = summit (cf. culminate).
cuneate: adjective, Latin = a wedge.
cuneiform: adjective, Latin cuneus = wedge, hence wedge-shaped.
cuneus: Latin = a wedge, adjective - cuneate.
cupola: Latin = little dome.
cupula: Latin = little dome.
cusp: Latin cuspis = a pointed elevation.
cutaneous: adjective, Latin cutis = skin.
cyst: Greek kystis = bladder, adjective - cystic.