Hydrocephalus

noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A usually congenital condition in which an abnormal accumulation of fluid in the cerebral ventricles causes enlargement of the skull and compression of the brain, destroying much of the neural tissue. uncountable, usually

    "She was born with a condition known as hydrocephalus, which doctors said was caused by a listeriosis infection that her mother contracted while pregnant."

  2. 2
    an abnormal condition in which cerebrospinal fluid collects in the ventricles of the brain; in infants it can cause abnormally rapid growth of the head and bulging fontanelles and a small face; in adults the symptoms are primarily neurological wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms
hydrocephalywater on brainwater on the brain

Example

More examples

"Excess fluid in the cerebral ventricles can lead to hydrocephalus, a dangerous buildup of pressure."

Etymology

Borrowed from Ancient Greek ὑδροκέφαλον (hudroképhalon).

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.