Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

epidural en · ADJ

Pronunciation

/ɛp.əˈd(j)ʊɹ.əl/ (General-American)
/ɛp.ɪˈdjɔː.ɹəl/ (Received-Pronunciation)
/ɛp.ɪˈdjʊə.ɹəl/ (Received-Pronunciation)
(US) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₁ep-der. Proto-Indo-European *h₁épsder. Proto-Indo-European *h₁épi Proto-Hellenic *epí Ancient Greek ἐπί (epí) Ancient Greek ἐπῐ- (epĭ-)der. English epi- English dura English -al English dural English epidural From epi- + dural.

Meanings

(relational) Situated on or outside the dura mater.
(relational) Of or pertaining to the space immediately outside the dura mater.
- Epidural anesthesia is commonly used for pain relief during childbirth.

Forms

Spelling	Features	Labels	Source
most epidural	Degree=Sup		lexicographic
more epidural	Degree=Cmp		lexicographic

Deriveds

epiduro- · nonepidural · postepidural · epidurally

Synonyms

peridural · extradural

Translations (14)

fi epiduraalinen (situated on or outside the dura mater) · ca epidural (situated on or outside the dura mater) · el επισκληρίδιος (situated on or outside the dura mater) · it epidurale (situated on or outside the dura mater) · cs epidurální (situated on or outside the dura mater) · nl epiduraal (situated on or outside the dura mater) · fr péridural (situated on or outside the dura mater) · fr épidural (situated on or outside the dura mater) · ru эпидура́льный (situated on or outside the dura mater) · es epidural (situated on or outside the dura mater) · cmn 硬腦膜外 /硬脑膜外 (situated on or outside the dura mater) · id epidural (situated on or outside the dura mater) · cmn 硬腦膜上 /硬脑膜上 (situated on or outside the dura mater) · pl zewnątrzoponowy (situated on or outside the dura mater)

epidural en · NOUN

Pronunciation

/ɛp.əˈd(j)ʊɹ.əl/ (General-American)
/ɛp.ɪˈdjɔː.ɹəl/ (Received-Pronunciation)
/ɛp.ɪˈdjʊə.ɹəl/ (Received-Pronunciation)
(US) audio

Etymology

Meanings

An injection of anaesthetic into the epidural space of the spine, especially associated with pain relief during childbirth.
- During my third birth, the epidural provided a welcome numbing sensation on one side of my abdomen, but I still had sharp, intense pain on the other. […] I’ve talked to dozens of mom friends over the years. Most say their epidural was like a magic wand that eliminated their pain in minutes. Some recalled napping or watching a movie through most of labor. 2025 November 25, Jillian Pretzel, “I got an epidural for all three of my births – none of them worked as expected”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
- For reasons I shan’t bore you with, I got them to induce me at 39 weeks, at 10am, with the epidural going in first, and it was all a dream. Until the baby went back to back and they very nicely pointed out that the epidural doesn’t deal with that pain. 2014 December 5, Marina Hyde, “Childbirth is as awful as it is magical, thanks to our postnatal ‘care’”, in The Guardian:

Forms

Spelling	Features	Labels	Source
epidurals	Number=Plur		lexicographic

Translations (8)

sv epidural (anaesthetic) · fr péridurale (anaesthetic) · es epidural (anaesthetic) · fr épidurale (anaesthetic) · fi epiduraalipuudutus (anaesthetic) · sv epiduralbedövning (anaesthetic) · ca epidural (anaesthetic) · id epidural (anaesthetic)