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

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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.
In May 2025 The Piano Man was forced to cancel all shows after being diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus, an abnormal buildup of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain. — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026 According to MedlinePlus, normal pressure hydrocephalus is an abnormal or excessive buildup of cerebrospinal fluid around the brain, which can impact brain function, cause walking or gait changes, or incontinence. — ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026 The artist stepped away from performing last year after being diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus, a brain disorder caused by an excessive accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain’s ventricles. — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2026 As defined by the Cleveland Clinic, normal pressure hydrocephalus occurs when a patient has too much cerebrospinal fluid in the brain’s ventricles. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 30 Sep. 2026 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

Rhymes for cerebrospinal fluid

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Browse Nearby Words

cerebrospinal axis
cerebrospinal fluid
cerebrospinal meningitis
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cerebrospinal fluid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cerebrospinal%20fluid. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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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

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cerebrospinal fluid

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