Definition of "cephalic" [ce•phal•ic•pha•lic]

• Of or relating to the head. (adjective)
• Located on, in, or near the head. (adjective)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "The first phase is also called the cephalic phase because it originates in the brain."
• "This is known as the cephalic phase of insulin secretion and is due to the hypothalamo-entero-insular axis which is mediated by vagal nerve1"
• "Phase 1 insulin response, the so-called cephalic response, occurs before the food is even eaten."