foramen magnum

foramen magnum

n.

The large orifice in the base of the skull through which the spinal cord passes to the cranial cavity and becomes continuous with the medulla oblongata.

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[New Latin forāmen magnum : Latin forāmen, opening + Latin magnus, large.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

foramen magnum

n

(Anatomy) the large opening at the base of the skull through which the spinal cord passes

[New Latin: large hole]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

fora′men mag′num

(ˈmæg nəm)
n.

the large opening in the base of the skull through which the spinal cord merges with the brain.

[1880–85; < New Latin: literally, large hole]

Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

foramen magnum - the large opening at the base of the cranium through which the spinal cord passes braincase, brainpan, cranium - the part of the skull that encloses the brain foramen, hiatus - a natural opening or perforation through a bone or a membranous structure

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