Basion
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 The middle of the anterior margin of the foramen magnum of the skull.
"In order to determine the distance of the zygomaxillare and the first molar from the basion (or prosthion), isosceles triangles were constructed from the measurements, which on one hand had the basion for the apex, the distance connecting both molar middle points as the base and the basion-first molar distance as the legs (Fig. 4. A), and on the other hand they had the distance between both zygomaxillaria as the base and the basion-zygomaxillaria as the base and the basion-zygomaxillary distance as the legs (Fig. 4. B)."
Example
More examples"In order to determine the distance of the zygomaxillare and the first molar from the basion (or prosthion), isosceles triangles were constructed from the measurements, which on one hand had the basion for the apex, the distance connecting both molar middle points as the base and the basion-first molar distance as the legs (Fig. 4. A), and on the other hand they had the distance between both zygomaxillaria as the base and the basion-zygomaxillaria as the base and the basion-zygomaxillary distance as the legs (Fig. 4. B)."
Etymology
From New Latin, equivalent to basi- (“base”) + -ion (“cephalometric reference point”).
Related phrases
More for "basion"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.