acanthocephalous adj.

type of tall herb or shrub native to the Mediterranean regions, 1660s, from Latin acanthus, name of the plant, from Greek akanthos, from akē "point, thorn" (from PIE root *ak- "be sharp, rise (out) to a point, pierce") + anthos "flower" (see anther). So called for its large spiny leaves. A conventionalized form of the leaf is used in Corinthian capitals. Related: Acanthaceous.

before vowels, cephal-, word-forming element meaning "head, skull, brain," Modern Latin combining form of Greek kephalē "head, uppermost or top part, source," from PIE *ghebh-el- (source also of Tocharian spal "head;" Old High German gebal "skull;" also, via the notion of "front," Gothic gibla, Old Norse gafl "side of a facade").

word-forming element making adjectives from nouns, meaning "having, full of, having to do with, doing, inclined to," from Old French -ous, -eux, from Latin -osus (compare -ose (1)). In chemistry, "having a lower valence than forms expressed in -ic."