: a light spongy cubical bone forming much of the walls of the nasal cavity and part of those of the orbits
Examples of ethmoid in a Sentence Recent Examples on the Web Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback. The study mapped this complex network by CT-scanning the cadaver of a domestic short hair cat, revealing the intricate folds and passageways winding through the cat’s ethmoid bone. —Matt Hrodey, Discover Magazine, 8 July 2023 Word HistoryEtymology
French ethmoïde, from Greek ēthmoeidēs, literally, like a strainer, from ēthmos strainer
First Known Use
1842, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of ethmoid was in 1842 Cite this Entry“Ethmoid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ethmoid. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
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