Parietal PARIE'TAL, a. [from L. paries, a wall, properly a partition
wall, from the root of part or pare.] Pertaining to a wall. 1. The
parietal bones form the sides and upper part of the skull. They are so
called because they defend the brain like walls.
parietal I. adjectiveEtymology: Middle English, from Medieval Latin parietalis,
from pariet-, paries wall of a cavity or hollow organ, from Latin,
wall Date: 15th century 1.a. of or relating to the walls of a part or cavity b. of,
relating to, or forming the upper posterior wall of the head
2. attached to the main wall rather than the axis or a cross wall of
a plant ovary — used of an ovule or a placenta 3. of or relating
to college living or its regulation; especially of or relating
to parietals
II. nounDate: 15th century 1. a parietal part (as
a bone, scale, or plate) 2.plural the regulations governing
the visiting privileges of members of the opposite sex in campus dormitories
parietal adj. 1 Anat. of the wall of the body or any of its cavities. 2 Bot. of the wall of a hollow structure etc. 3 US relating to residence within a college. Phrases and
idioms: parietal bone either of a pair of bones forming the central part of the sides and top of the skull. Etymology: F pariétal or LL parietalis f. L paries -etis wall
Parietal \Pa*ri"e*tal\, a. [L. parietalis, fr. paries, -ietis, a
wall: cf. F. pari['e]tal. Cf. Parietary, Pellitory.]
1. Of or pertaining to a wall; hence, pertaining to buildings
or the care of them.
2. Resident within the walls or buildings of a college.
At Harvard College, the officers resident within the
college walls constitute a permanent standing
committee, called the Parietal Committee. --B. H.
Hall (1856).
3. (Anat.)
(a) Of pertaining to the parietes.
(b) Of, pertaining to, or in the region of, the parietal
bones, which form the upper and middle part of the
cranium, between the frontals and occipitals.
4. (Bot.) Attached to the main wall of the ovary, and not to
the axis; -- said of a placenta.
Parietal \Pa*ri"e*tal\, n.
1. (Anat.) One of the parietal bones.
2. (Zo["o]l.) One of the special scales, or plates, covering
the back of the head in certain reptiles and fishes.
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