Skip to Content
Medical Term:


Pronunciation: fon'ta-nel'

Definition: One of several membranous intervals between the angles and margins of the cranial bones in the infant; they include the midline anterior and posterior fontanelles, and the paired sphenoidal and mastoid fontanelles.

See: cranial fontanelles

Synonym(s): fonticuli craniiTA, fonticulusTA, cranial fontanelles

[Fr. dim. of fontaine, fountain, spring]
