Question

decussate verb The history of "decussate" leads us back to the intersection of "decem," a word meaning "ten," and "ass-," a form that refers to a unit of weight and specifically to a copper coin cut to a half-ounce. In the Roman numeral system the number 10 is represented by X, an intersection of two lines. A man named Sir Thomas Browne coined "decussate" in the 17th century to discuss the crossing fibers that make up human anatomy-for instance, skin tissue. The word continues to be found primarily in scientific contexts today. : to intersect or cross

Accepted Answer

May 9, 2013 DEK-uh-sayt The illustration on page 34 of your textbook shows how the optic nerves decussate.   "The fibers of the lateral spinothalamic tract decussate one or two levels above or below where the injury may occur…." - From an article by Kim Boswell, MD, and Jay Menaker, MD, in Trauma Reports, January 1, 2013

Word	decussate
Date	May 9, 2013
Type	verb
Syllables	DEK-uh-sayt
Etymology	The history of "decussate" leads us back to the intersection of "decem," a word meaning "ten," and "ass-," a form that refers to a unit of weight and specifically to a copper coin cut to a half-ounce. In the Roman numeral system the number 10 is represented by X, an intersection of two lines. A man named Sir Thomas Browne coined "decussate" in the 17th century to discuss the crossing fibers that make up human anatomy-for instance, skin tissue. The word continues to be found primarily in scientific contexts today.
Examples	The illustration on page 34 of your textbook shows how the optic nerves decussate. "The fibers of the lateral spinothalamic tract decussate one or two levels above or below where the injury may occur…." - From an article by Kim Boswell, MD, and Jay Menaker, MD, in Trauma Reports, January 1, 2013
Definition	: to intersect or cross

Decussate Intersection Word Fibers Md Verb Dek Uh Sayt History