brain case

Meanings

1. 1nouncountablebiologymedical

   The part of the skull that surrounds and protects the brain, made of fused bones.

   Grammar: Countable: the brain case of a fossil; plural brain cases.

   Patterns

   • the brain case of something

   Scientists measured the brain case of the fossil to estimate brain size.

   The brain case is stronger than the thin bones of the face.

   A crack in the brain case required emergency surgery.

2. 2nouncountablehumorousfigurative

   A protective housing around a delicate machine or system, used humorously for the body of a computer or device.

   Grammar: Informal and figurative: the computer's brain case.

   He opened up the robot's brain case to check the wiring.

   The engineers sealed the sensor's brain case against dust.

Word forms

Common combinations

fossil brain case

A fossil brain case was found in the cave.

protect the brain case

Helmets protect the brain case from impacts.

fractured brain case

The scan showed a fractured brain case.

brain case volume

Brain case volume rose over human evolution.

Synonyms and how they differ

cranium

It is the standard anatomical term and is a little more formal than brain case.

skull

It includes the face bones too, while brain case names only the part around the brain.

neurocranium

It is the precise scientific term for the same region, but is rarely used outside anatomy.

Word family

brain noun

the organ for thinking

cranium noun

the skull around the brain

braincase noun

one-word spelling of brain case

skull noun

the bones of the head

Commonly confused: brain case or brain cell?

Practice

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