Definition of Occipital bone

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Occipital bone: The bone that forms the rear and the rear bottom of the skull. The occipital bone encloses a large oval hole called the foramen magnum that allows passage of the spinal cord. The occipital bone articulates (joins) with the parietal and temporal bones of the skull, the sphenoid bone in front of it, and the first cervical vertebra (the atlas) beneath it

From the Latin, meaning the part of the head opposite the front.