Fontanel

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Fontanel \Fon"ta*nel`\, n. [F. fontanelle, prop., a little
     fountain, fr. fontaine fountain. See {Fountain}.]
     1. (Med.) An issue or artificial ulcer for the discharge of
        humors from the body.[Obs.] --Wiseman.
        [1913 Webster]
  


     2. (Anat.) One of the membranous intervals between the
        incompleted angles of the parietal and neighboring bones
        of a fetal or young skull; -- so called because it
        exhibits a rhythmical pulsation.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: In the human fetus there are six fontanels, of which
           the anterior, or bregmatic, situated at the junction of
           the coronal and sagittal sutures, is much the largest,
           and remains open a considerable time after birth.
           [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  fontanel
       n : any membranous gap between the bones of the cranium in an
           infant or fetus [syn: {fontanelle}, {soft spot}]