brachycephalic

1 of 2

adjective

brachy·​ce·​phal·​ic ˌbra-ki-sə-ˈfa-lik How to pronounce brachycephalic (audio)
: short-headed or broad-headed with a cephalic index of over 80
brachycephaly
ˌbra-ki-ˈse-fə-lē How to pronounce brachycephalic (audio)
noun

brachycephaly

2 of 2

noun

brachy·​ceph·​a·​ly ˌbra-kə-ˈse-fə-lē How to pronounce brachycephaly (audio)
plural -es
: the quality or state of being brachycephalic

Examples of brachycephalic 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.
Adjective
Kygo, like many French bulldogs, has always lived with the quirks of being a brachycephalic breed. — Ashley Vega, People.com, 27 Aug. 2025 Also, brachycephalic dogs, very old dogs, and those with heart or pulmonary disease would be more prone to heat sensitivity. — Molly Burford, Southern Living, 29 June 2026 According to the team, this shows that BOAS varies widely amongst brachycephalic breeds. — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 18 Feb. 2026 With low energy levels and breathing challenges due to their brachycephalic structure, English bulldogs tend to tire easily. — Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for brachycephalic

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

New Latin brachycephalus, from Greek brachy- + kephalē head — more at cephalic

Noun

International Scientific Vocabulary brachycephalic + -y

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1852, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of brachycephalic was circa 1852

Rhymes for brachycephalic

See All Rhymes for brachycephalic

Browse Nearby Words

brachycephal
brachycephalic
brachycephalid
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Brachycephalic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brachycephalic. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Medical Definition

brachycephalic

adjective
brachy·​ce·​phal·​ic ˌbrak-i-sə-ˈfal-ik How to pronounce brachycephalic (audio)
: short-headed or broad-headed with a cephalic index of over 80
brachycephaly
-ˈsef-ə-lē How to pronounce brachycephalic (audio)
noun
plural brachycephalies
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All