Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adjective Of, relating to, or resembling rock, especially in hardness; stony.
- adjective Of or relating to the very dense, hard portion of the temporal bone that forms a protective case for the inner ear.
from The Century Dictionary.
- Like stone in hardness; stony; rocky.
- Pertaining to the part of the temporal bone so called; petrosal: as. a petrous vein or sinus; a petrous ganglion.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- adjective Like stone; hard; stony; rocky.
- adjective (Anat.)  Same as Petrosal .
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective   Resembling rock orstone in itshardness 
- adjective   Of the dense portion of the temporal bone that protects theinner ear .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adjective (of bone especially the temporal bone) resembling stone in hardness
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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								121 The inner projection of the temporal bone is known as the petrous process. Physiology and Hygiene for Secondary Schools Francis M. Walters 
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								In man the internal ear (enclosed in the densest bone of the skull, named, from its density, "petrous") is a very complex organ. The Common Frog 1874 
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								"petrous" (_rocher_), developed from the nuchal plate; the ali - and orbito-sphenoids developed from the trabeculæ; the "cranial ethmoid" [229] developed from the facial plate; (2) the parietals, frontals and nasals formed from the "superior" protective plate; the "anterior" and Form and Function A Contribution to the History of Animal Morphology 
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								“The fracture proceeds from back to front across the petrous portions of both temporal bones.” 206 BONES Kathy Reichs 1990 
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								“The fracture proceeds from back to front across the petrous portions of both temporal bones.” 206 BONES Kathy Reichs 1990 
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								“The fracture proceeds from back to front across the petrous portions of both temporal bones.” 206 BONES Kathy Reichs 1990 
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								The third division of the organ is the internal ear, which is called the labyrinth; it is divided into the vestibule, three semicircular canals, and the cochlea: the whole are incased within the petrous portion of the temporal bone. The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction Volume 13, No. 376, June 20, 1829 Various 
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								On removal of the crown of bone the bullet was discovered with the point turned backwards (having evidently undergone a partial ricochet turn) on the upper surface of the petrous bone, just above the lateral sinus. Surgical Experiences in South Africa, 1899-1900 Being Mainly a Clinical Study of the Nature and Effects of Injuries Produced by Bullets of Small Calibre George Henry Makins 
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								With bone forceps or a fine saw, split open the petrous portion of the temporal bone and observe the cochlea and the semicircular canals. Physiology and Hygiene for Secondary Schools Francis M. Walters 
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								On its inner side is a small air chamber in the petrous portion of the temporal bone, called the cavity of the tympanum. A Practical Physiology Albert F. Blaisdell 
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