Definition

A medical condition where a person's head is smaller than normal, often linked to developmental issues or intellectual disabilities.

Example

The doctor diagnosed the baby with microcephaly after noticing the unusually small size of the head.

Conversation

I read about a condition called microcephaly in the news recently.

Oh really? What’s that about?

It’s when a baby is born with an unusually small head, which can lead to other issues.

That sounds really concerning. I hope they have good support for those families.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Microcephaly → It is formed from "micro-" (from Greek "mikros", meaning small) and "cephaly" (from Greek "kephalē", meaning head). The word describes a condition characterized by a smaller than average head size.

Memory Tip

Think of 'small' ('micro-') and 'head' ('cephaly') to remember that microcephaly refers to a condition where the head is smaller than normal.

Visually Confused Words