hydrocephalus

noun

hy·​dro·​ceph·​a·​lus ˌhī-drō-ˈse-fə-ləs 

variants or less commonly hydrocephaly

ˌhī-drō-ˈse-fə-lē 

: an abnormal increase in the amount of cerebrospinal fluid within the cranial cavity (as from obstructed flow, excess production, or defective absorption) that is accompanied by expansion of the cerebral ventricles and often increased intracranial pressure, skull enlargement, and cognitive decline

Examples of hydrocephalus in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Derrick had experienced multiple seizures as an infant, and had subsequently been diagnosed with cerebral palsy and hydrocephalus. —Lindsay Lee Wallace, TIME, 17 June 2024

From a 6 year lifespan to a thriving teenager Luis Heberto lives with spinal bifida, which paralyzes him from the waist down; cerebral palsy, which limits him from the waist up; and hydrocephalus, a neurological disorder that causes the accumulation of fluid within deep cavities of the brain. —Nadia Cantú, The Arizona Republic, 12 May 2024

In situations where the tumor is interfering with the cerebral spinal fluid (CSF), people may have more pressure in their heads, known as hydrocephalus. —Julia Landwehr, Health, 12 Jan. 2024

Somers also lived with hypertension and hydrocephalus, underlying conditions that led to her death. —Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2023

Word History

Etymology

New Latin hydrocephalus, from Late Latin, hydrocephalic, adjective, from Greek hydrokephalos, from hydr- + kephalē head — more at cephalic

First Known Use

1670, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

hydrocephalus

noun

hy·​dro·​ceph·​a·​lus ˌhī-drō-ˈsef-ə-ləs 

variants also hydrocephaly

-ˈsef-ə-lē 

: an abnormal condition in which an increased amount of cerebrospinal fluid causes an increase in the size of the ventricles of the brain and the size of the skull and the wasting away of the brain

Medical Definition

hydrocephalus

noun

hy·​dro·​ceph·​a·​lus -ˈsef-ə-ləs, British also -ˈkef- 

plural hydrocephali -ˌlī 

: an abnormal increase in the amount of cerebrospinal fluid within the cranial cavity (as from obstructed flow, excess production, or defective absorption) that is accompanied by expansion of the cerebral ventricles and often increased intracranial pressure, skull enlargement, and cognitive decline