cerebrospinal fluid

noun

: a colorless liquid that is comparable to serum, is secreted from the blood into the lateral ventricles of the brain, and serves chiefly to maintain uniform pressure within the brain and spinal cord

Examples of cerebrospinal fluid in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Researchers will be able to list animal parts for sale, from cerebrospinal fluid to whole organs. Meghana Keshavan, STAT, 11 Mar. 2024 The 40-Hz therapy helps to bring more cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) into the brain. IEEE Spectrum, 28 Feb. 2024 The cerebrospinal fluid picks up all of the waste products in the spaces between neurons before being flushed out again through the same channels, leaving behind clean interstitial fluid. William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 In the 2018 and 2022 AFM cases—which both coincided with EV-D68 waves—children with AFM were more likely to have had an illness with a fever recently; have upper-limb weakness rather than lower-limb weakness; and have immune cells in their cerebrospinal fluid. Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 5 Feb. 2024 Unlike Alzheimer’s disease — which can be confirmed through brain imaging scans and cerebrospinal fluid tests — there is not one simple test to confirm whether someone has frontotemporal dementia. Lauren J. Mapp, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Nov. 2023 West Nile can be detected through blood or cerebrospinal fluid tests. Allie Kelly, Dallas News, 9 Aug. 2023 And while brain scans such as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can indicate damage and deterioration in a person's brain, cerebrospinal fluid collections can indicate build-up of proteins associated with Alzheimer’s. Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 13 July 2023 However, clinical data from at least one of the Texas cases so far suggests that the infections are due to a fungus; lab tests found elevated cerebrospinal fluid levels of the fungal biomarker (1,3)-beta-D-glucan in at least one patient, the CDC reported. Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 19 May 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cerebrospinal fluid.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1828, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cerebrospinal fluid was in 1828

Dictionary Entries Near cerebrospinal fluid

Cite this Entry

“Cerebrospinal fluid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cerebrospinal%20fluid. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

cerebrospinal fluid

noun
ce·​re·​bro·​spi·​nal fluid
sə-ˌrē-brō-ˌspīn-ᵊl-
: a colorless fluid that occupies the cavities of the brain and spinal cord and the space between these and the membranes surrounding them

Medical Definition

cerebrospinal fluid

noun
: a liquid that is comparable to serum but contains less dissolved material, that is secreted from the blood into the lateral ventricles of the brain by the choroid plexus, circulates through the ventricles to the spaces between the meninges about the brain and spinal cord, and is resorbed into the blood through the subarachnoid sinuses, and that serves chiefly to maintain uniform pressure within the brain and spinal cord

called also spinal fluid

compare lymph

More from Merriam-Webster on cerebrospinal fluid

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