Definition of Parietal

Parietal: Adjective from the Latin "parietalis" meaning "belonging to the wall" that the ancient anatomists used to designate the wall, as of a body cavity.

For examples, there are the:

  • Parietal bone -- the main side bone of the skull.
  • Parietal lobe -- the main side lobe of the brain (it is beneath the parietal bone).
  • Parietal pericardium -- the outer membrane around the heart.
  • Parietal peritoneum -- the membrane lining the abdominal cavity (as opposed to the visceral peritoneum that envelops the abdominal organs).