cribriform

adjective

crib·​ri·​form ˈkri-brə-ˌfȯrm How to pronounce cribriform (audio)
: pierced with small holes

Examples of cribriform in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Surgeons could go down through the brain, sideways through the eye socket, or up through the nasal cavity, breaking through the cribriform plate to reach the bulb. IEEE Spectrum, 17 Oct. 2022 Odor molecules that enter the nose bind to olfactory receptor cells, which send signals through the bone of the cribriform plate to reach the olfactory bulb. IEEE Spectrum, 17 Oct. 2022

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin crībrifōrmis, from Latin crībrum "sieve" + -i- -i- + -fōrmis -form — more at riddle entry 3

First Known Use

1741, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cribriform was in 1741

Dictionary Entries Near cribriform

Cite this Entry

“Cribriform.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cribriform. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

Medical Definition

cribriform

adjective
crib·​ri·​form ˈkrib-rə-ˌfȯrm How to pronounce cribriform (audio)
: pierced with small holes
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!