microcephalous, a.
(maɪkrəʊˈsɛfələs)
[f. mod.L. mīcrocephal-us (a. Gr. µῑκροκέϕαλος small headed, f. µῑκρό-ς small + κεϕαλ-ή head) + -ous.]
Small-headed. a. Path. and Anthropology. Having an abnormally small head; characterized by microcephaly. b. Bot. ‘Applied to a plant that has flowers disposed in small heads’ (Syd. Soc. Lex.).
| 1840 Smart, Microcephalous, little-headed, applied to the beryx, [a] fossil fish. 1871 Darwin Desc. Man I. iv. 121 The arrested brain-development of microcephalous idiots. 1872 ― Emotions viii. 206 The eyes of microcephalous idiots..brighten slightly when they are pleased. 1877 Black Green Past. iv. (1878) 34 Before I would marry one of those bedizened and microcephalous playthings. |