n.
Pronunciation: - ' se-f ə -l ə s
Variant: also hy · dro · ceph · a · ly \ -l ē \
Function: noun
Etymology: New Latin hydrocephalus, from Late Latin, hydrocephalic, adjective, from Greek hydrokephalos, from hydr- + kephal ē head ― more at CEPHALIC
Date: 1670
: an abnormal increase in the amount of cerebrospinal fluid within the cranial cavity that is accompanied by expansion of the cerebral ventricles, enlargement of the skull and especially the forehead, and atrophy of the brain