kephale

Kephale, from the Greek κεφαλή (kephalē), means "head." In English, the derived combining forms cephalo- or cephal- are used to form a broad range of scientific terms. The related adjective cephalic denotes something pertaining to the head or the head end of the body. This root appears across biology, medicine, anatomy, and related fields, and is the source of many terms encountered in scientific literature.

In anatomy and medicine, cephal- terms describe structures, measurements, or conditions related to the head. Examples include cephalometry (the measurement of the head), cephalalgia (headache), and cephalopod (a class of mollusks with a prominent head and tentacles). In obstetrics, cephalic presentation refers to a fetus oriented head-first during birth. Other related terms include cephalothorax (a fused head and thorax region in certain arthropods) and cephalopodia in taxonomy.

Historically and linguistically, κεφαλή is a core Greek noun whose usage influenced many modern technical terms. The English prefix cephalo- is commonly encountered in scientific nomenclature, while the standalone Greek word remains a basic lexical item meaning “head.” The root also appears in modern Greek as kephalí with similar meaning. In scholarly and educational contexts, kephale and its derivatives illustrate how ancient language roots continue to shape contemporary scientific vocabulary.