temporal bone

noun

: a compound bone of the side of the skull of some mammals including humans

Examples of temporal bone in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The samples came from the petrous, a part of the temporal bone that includes the inner ear, and which has proved to be one of the best bets for aDNA preservation. Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, 17 May 2018 This paper describes the metal casts of inner ears made by the anatomist M. Wharton Young in the 1930s, using the temporal bone as a mold. Seriously Science, Discover Magazine, 1 Dec. 2014 Enlarge / Set of cut marks identified on the left temporal bone of the skull. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 24 Feb. 2022 The authors also ruled out a bone tumor or malignant external otitis (a fast-spreading infection of the ear canal and temporal bone). Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 24 Feb. 2022 And fracturing the temporal bone above the ear could sever an artery, causing blood to flow rapidly into the brain, Marcus said. Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2022 The other is done by an assistant, with each of his middle fingers pressing with persistent firmness into the hollow behind the ridge of the temporal bone, which forms the [side wall of the eye socket]. Mark Fischetti, Scientific American, 16 Dec. 2021 Some of the vibrations passed through the wood, through his jaw, through his temporal bone, and into his cochlea, bypassing his eardrum and middle ear. David Owen, The New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2019 Garrett, of Van Meter, Iowa, died July 6 of a rare cancer that attacked his temporal bone and cranial nerve. Fox News, 13 July 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'temporal bone.' 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

1771, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of temporal bone was in 1771

Dictionary Entries Near temporal bone

Cite this Entry

“Temporal bone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/temporal%20bone. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

temporal bone

noun
: a compound bone that is located on the side of the skull of some mammals including human beings and is composed of four major parts

Medical Definition

temporal bone

noun
: a compound bone of the side of the skull that has four principal parts including the squamous, petrous, and tympanic portions and the mastoid process

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