Meaning & use
encephalus
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountablemedicaltechnicalrare
A fetus or newborn with no brain or only a tiny remnant of brain tissue.
Grammar: A countable medical noun; it appears mostly in clinical writing and case reports.
Patterns
- a fetus with encephalus
- cases of encephalus
The scan showed encephalus, so the pregnancy could not continue.
In the pathology report, encephalus was listed as the cause of the malformation.
Word forms
| plural | encephali |
|---|
Common combinations
- a case of encephalus
- The journal described a rare case of encephalus.
- diagnose encephalus
- Doctors can diagnose encephalus before birth with an ultrasound.
- fatal encephalus
- Fatal encephalus is incompatible with life outside the womb.
Synonyms and how they differ
- anencephaly
- This is the far more common term for the same condition; 'encephalus' names the affected fetus, while 'anencephaly' names the condition itself.
Word family
- encephalic adjective
- relating to the brain.
- encephalitis noun
- inflammation of the brain, a different condition.
- anencephalic adjective
- born without a brain; describes the same defect.
Commonly confused: encephalus or encephalitis?
encephalus vs encephalitis
Encephalitis is swelling of the brain and is common in medical news; encephalus is a rare birth defect with no brain development.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'encephalus' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Encephalus' is a severe congenital condition incompatible with life, so option 1 fits. The other options wrongly treat it as an infection or a mild illness.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “encephalus”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.