thalamus

noun

thal·​a·​mus ˈtha-lə-məs How to pronounce thalamus (audio)
plural thalami ˈtha-lə-ˌmī How to pronounce thalamus (audio)
-ˌmē
: the largest subdivision of the diencephalon that consists chiefly of an ovoid mass of nuclei in each lateral wall of the third ventricle and serves chiefly to relay impulses and especially sensory impulses to and from the cerebral cortex see brain illustration
thalamic adjective

Examples of thalamus in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web These include the ripples of electrical activity from the hippocampus that probably reflect replay—and which coincide with the troughs of sleep spindles originating in the thalamus. Ingrid Wickelgren, Scientific American, 20 Feb. 2024 In contrast, the more evolutionarily novel brain regions, such as the cerebellum and thalamus, contain fewer cell types overall. Quanta Magazine, 13 Dec. 2023 As the name implies, the circuit connects structures deep in the brain—the basal ganglia, which includes the striatum, and the thalamus—with areas in the cortex closer to the brain’s surface. Lydia Denworth, Scientific American, 1 Aug. 2021 The thalamus is about the size and shape of a quail egg and sits deep in the brain, relaying info all around the cortex. Max G. Levy, Wired, 11 May 2021 In Tourette’s patients, there’s abnormal activity in a part called the medial thalamus. IEEE Spectrum, 26 June 2017 As recently as the mid-20th century, doctors performed lobotomies on people deemed mentally ill, severing the connection between the thalamus and the frontal lobe. Kristen Martin, Washington Post, 2 Aug. 2023 The thalamus may not be involved in the same manner for both types of information. Jackie Wattles, CNN, 31 Mar. 2023 Contributions from deeper structures, such as the thalamus, have to be inferred indirectly via their action on cortical cells. Christof Koch, Scientific American, 1 Nov. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'thalamus.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Greek thalamos chamber

First Known Use

1859, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of thalamus was in 1859

Dictionary Entries Near thalamus

Cite this Entry

“Thalamus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thalamus. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

thalamus

noun
thal·​a·​mus ˈthal-ə-məs How to pronounce thalamus (audio)
plural thalami -ˌmī How to pronounce thalamus (audio)
-ˌmē
: a subdivision of the forebrain that receives nerve impulses and sends them on to the appropriate parts of the brain cortex

Medical Definition

thalamus

noun
thal·​a·​mus ˈthal-ə-məs How to pronounce thalamus (audio)
plural thalami -ˌmī How to pronounce thalamus (audio) -ˌmē How to pronounce thalamus (audio)
: the largest subdivision of the diencephalon that consists chiefly of an ovoid mass of nuclei in each lateral wall of the third ventricle and serves to relay impulses and especially sensory impulses to and from the cerebral cortex

More from Merriam-Webster on thalamus

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!