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Cephal- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “head.” It is often used in medical and scientific terms.

Cephal- comes from the Greek ����󲹱�ḗ, meaning “head.”

Cephal- is a variant of cephalo-, which loses its -o- when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels.

Want to know more? Read our �y��vlogs That Use cephalo- article.

Corresponding forms of cephalo- combined to the end of words are -cephaly, -cephalic, and -cephalous, which you can learn more about in our �y��vlogs That Use articles for each form.

Also deriving from ����󲹱�ḗ are the combining forms encephalo- and encephal-, meaning “brain.” Discover how these forms are used in our �y��vlogs That Use encephalo- and encephal- articles.

One medical term that features cephal- is cephalalgia, meaning “headache.”

We know that cephal- means “head.” What about –algia? It doesn’t have to do with algae—it actually means “pain.” Cephalalgia literally translates “head pain.”

Knowing a little Greek helps make big words like cephalalgia less of a pain in the … head.

What are some words that use the combining form cephal-?

• cephalic (using the equivalent form of cephal- in Greek)
• cephalate
• cephaledema

The combining form -itis is frequently used to denote inflammation and illness. With this and the meaning of cephal- in mind, what does the medical condition cephalitis entail?