cerebrospinal fluid

noun

: a colorless liquid that is comparable to serum, is secreted from the blood into the lateral ventricles of the brain, and serves chiefly to maintain uniform pressure within the brain and spinal cord

Examples of cerebrospinal fluid in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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According to Cleveland Clinic, the condition occurs when cerebrospinal fluid builds up inside the skull, pressing on the brain, affecting the ability to think and concentrate, as well as impacting memory and movement; treatment can involve implanting a shunt to drain the excess fluid. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 16 July 2025 That’s either an epidural, which involves receiving anesthetic meds via a catheter (a.k.a. tiny tube) inserted next to your spinal cord, or a spinal block, which is a single shot of numbing drugs directly into your cerebrospinal fluid. Erica Sloan, SELF, 16 July 2025 The youth was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia at the age of 3 and has undergone chemotherapy treatments, including injecting chemotherapeutic agents into his cerebrospinal fluid, according to court documents. Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2025 The cerebrospinal fluid, which is clear and colorless, surrounds the brain and spinal cord and serves as a protective cushion while also providing nutrients, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Alexis Simmerman, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for cerebrospinal fluid

Word History

First Known Use

1828, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cerebrospinal fluid was in 1828

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Cite this Entry

“Cerebrospinal fluid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cerebrospinal%20fluid. Accessed 23 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

cerebrospinal fluid

noun
ce·​re·​bro·​spi·​nal fluid
sə-ˌrē-brō-ˌspīn-ᵊl-
: a colorless fluid that occupies the cavities of the brain and spinal cord and the space between these and the membranes surrounding them

Medical Definition

cerebrospinal fluid

noun
: a liquid that is comparable to serum but contains less dissolved material, that is secreted from the blood into the lateral ventricles of the brain by the choroid plexus, circulates through the ventricles to the spaces between the meninges about the brain and spinal cord, and is resorbed into the blood through the subarachnoid sinuses, and that serves chiefly to maintain uniform pressure within the brain and spinal cord

called also spinal fluid

compare lymph

More from Merriam-Webster on cerebrospinal fluid

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