Nearby Words

cerebral

[suh-ree-bruhl, ser-uh-] Origin

ce·re·bral

[suh-ree-bruhl, ser-uh-]
adjective
1.
Anatomy, Zoology. of or pertaining to the cerebrum or the brain.
2.
betraying or characterized by the use of the intellect rather than intuition or instinct: His is a cerebral music that leaves many people cold.
3.
Phonetics. retroflex (def. 2).
noun
4.
Phonetics. a cerebral sound.

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Cerebral is always a great word to know.
So is patella. Does it mean:
the flat, movable bone at the front of the knee; the kneecap
a muscular, membranous or ligamentous wall separating the thoracic or chest cavity from the abdominal cavity in mammals

Origin:
1795–1805; < Neo-Latin cerebrālis. See cerebrum, -al1

ce·re·bral·ly, adverb
in·ter·cer·e·bral, adjective
non·cer·e·bral, adjective
o·ver·ce·re·bral, adjective
post·ce·re·bral, adjective
EXPAND
pre·ce·re·bral, adjective
sub·cer·e·bral, adjective
su·per·ce·re·bral, adjective
su·per·ce·re·bral·ly, adverb
COLLAPSE
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
cerebral (ˈsɛrɪbrəl, US səˈriːbrəl)
 
adj
1.  of or relating to the cerebrum or to the entire brain
2.  involving intelligence rather than emotions or instinct
3.  phonetics another word for cacuminal
 
n
4.  phonetics a consonant articulated in the manner of a cacuminal consonant
 
'cerebrally
 
adv

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

cerebral
1816, from Fr. cérébral, from L. cerebrum "brain," from PIE *keres-, from base *ker- "top of the head." Meaning "intellectual, clever" is from 1929.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

cerebral cer·e·bral (sěr'ə-brəl, sə-rē'-)
adj.
Of or relating to the brain or cerebrum.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
cerebral   (sěr'ə-brəl, sə-rē'brəl)  Pronunciation Key 
Relating to or involving the brain or cerebrum.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary
cerebral [(suh-ree-bruhl, ser-uh-bruhl)]

A descriptive term for things pertaining to the brain or cerebrum.

Note: The term is also used figuratively to describe things that appeal to the intellect.
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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