Meaning & use
hydrocephalus
Last updated
Meaning
noununcountablemedical
A medical condition where too much cerebrospinal fluid builds up in the brain's cavities.
Grammar: Uncountable; used with a singular verb, as in 'Hydrocephalus is treated...'.
Patterns
- have hydrocephalus
- treat hydrocephalus
The baby was born with hydrocephalus and needed surgery.
Hydrocephalus can cause an unusually large head in infants.
Doctors use a shunt to drain the extra fluid in hydrocephalus.
Common combinations
- congenital hydrocephalus
- Congenital hydrocephalus is present at birth.
- treat hydrocephalus
- Surgeons treat hydrocephalus by placing a shunt.
- shunt for hydrocephalus
- The child had a shunt for hydrocephalus inserted last year.
Synonyms and how they differ
- water on the brain
- An informal, non-medical way to say hydrocephalus; avoid it in formal writing.
Word family
- hydrocephalic adjective
- Relating to or affected by hydrocephalus.
Commonly confused: hydrocephalus or hydrocephaly?
hydrocephalus vs hydrocephaly
A less common variant spelling of the same condition; 'hydrocephalus' is the standard medical term.
Practice
What does hydrocephalus involve?
Choose one answer.
Hydrocephalus is the build-up of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain's cavities. The other options describe anemia, pneumonia, and a fracture, which are unrelated conditions.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “hydrocephalus”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.