petrous

[ pe-truh s, pee- ]
/ ˈpɛ trəs, ˈpi- /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR petrous ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

Anatomy. noting or pertaining to the hard dense portion of the temporal bone, containing the internal auditory organs; petrosal.
like stone, especially in hardness; stony; rocky.

Origin of petrous

1350–1400; Middle English (< Middle French petros) < Latin petrōsus rocky. See petr-, -ous

OTHER WORDS FROM petrous

su·per·pet·rous, adjective

Words nearby petrous

petrosphenoid, petrosquamosal, petrostate, petrotympanic fissure, petrouchka, petrous, petrous ganglion, petrovsk, petrozavodsk, petrópolis, petsamo

Words related to petrous

jagged, craggy, rough, flinty, hard, inflexible, petrified, solid, lapidarian, lithic, pebbly, rock-ribbed

Example sentences from the Web for petrous

British Dictionary definitions for petrous

petrous
/ (ˈpɛtrəs, ˈpiː-) /

adjective

anatomy denoting the dense part of the temporal bone that surrounds the inner ear
rare like rock or stone

Word Origin for petrous

C16: from Latin petrōsus full of rocks

Medical definitions for petrous

petrous
[ pĕt′rəs ]

adj.

Of stony hardness.
Of or relating to the dense hard portion of the temporal bone that forms a protective case for the inner ear.