cerebrospinal fluid

noun

: a colorless liquid that is comparable to serum, is secreted from the blood into the lateral ventricles of the brain, and serves chiefly to maintain uniform pressure within the brain and spinal cord

Examples of cerebrospinal fluid in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

And More—Had Homes Destroyed Along With Historic Landmarks The research also revealed intriguing changes in cerebrospinal fluid volumes. —William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025

Doctors also identified the fluid as cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), a protective substance that cushions the brain and spinal cord. —David Faris, Newsweek, 18 Jan. 2025

The biomarkers are measured using cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), the watery liquid that fills and surrounds the brain and spinal cord and provides nutrients, removes waste, and acts as a shock absorber for these delicate organs. —New Atlas, 15 Dec. 2024

On top of that, testing for the disease requires a sample of cerebrospinal fluid or a PET scan (brain imaging), according to the NIH. —Monica Cull, Discover Magazine, 19 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1828, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

cerebrospinal fluid

noun

ce·​re·​bro·​spi·​nal fluid

sə-ˌrē-brō-ˌspīn-ᵊl-

: a colorless fluid that occupies the cavities of the brain and spinal cord and the space between these and the membranes surrounding them

Medical Definition

cerebrospinal fluid

noun

: a liquid that is comparable to serum but contains less dissolved material, that is secreted from the blood into the lateral ventricles of the brain by the choroid plexus, circulates through the ventricles to the spaces between the meninges about the brain and spinal cord, and is resorbed into the blood through the subarachnoid sinuses, and that serves chiefly to maintain uniform pressure within the brain and spinal cord

called also spinal fluid

compare lymph