amygdala

[ uh-mig-duh-luh ]

/ əˈmɪg də lə /

Save This Word!

noun, plural a·myg·da·lae

[uh-mig-duh-lee]. /əˈmɪg dəˌli/. Anatomy.

an almond-shaped part, as a tonsil.

a ganglion of the limbic system adjoining the temporal lobe of the brain and involved in emotions of fear and aggression.

QUIZ

TEST YOUR MERIT ON THESE NEW WORDS IN 2021

The Dictionary added new words and definition to our vast collection, and we want to see how well-versed you are in the formally recognized new lingo. Take the quiz!

Question 1 of 8

What does JEDI stand for?

justice, equity, diversity, inclusion

justice, energy, determination, instruction

joy, equality, diversity, involvement

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Meet Grammar Coach

Write or paste your essay, email, or story into Grammar Coach and get grammar help

Improve Your Writing

Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing

Origin of amygdala

before 950; <Medieval Latin: almond, tonsil, Latin: almond <Greek amygdálē; replacing Middle English amygdal,Old English amigdal almond <Latin amygdalon<Greek amýgdalon;cf. almond

Words nearby amygdala

amyelia, amyelination, amyelinic, amyelonic, amyelous, amygdala, amygdalaceous, amygdalate, amygdale, amygdalic, amygdaliform

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use amygdala in a sentence

No need to tell us about the role the amygdala or stress hormones play in anxiety, we knew how we were wired.
Coronavirus is testing those of us with anxiety. We need to have mental health help available when the pandemic ends.|Sarah Vander Schaaff|January 30, 2021|Washington Post
This may be because of changes in your amygdala, the main area of your brain responsible for emotions like fear.
How to keep your anxiety from spiraling out of control|Sara Chodosh|January 15, 2021|Popular-Science
The team found that fear transfer relied on connections from the cortex to part of the amygdala, a region known to respond to fear.
Mice may ‘catch’ each other’s pain — and pain relief|Carolyn Wilke|January 12, 2021|Science News
For example, among a group of study participants who underwent an eight-week mindfulness class, MRIs showed their amygdalae shrank.
How to make the most of meditation with science|Jessica Boddy|January 1, 2021|Popular-Science

Kate Jeffery, a neuroscientist at University College London, explains that the amygdala—the emotional center of the brain—plays a role in spatial awareness by sending messages like, This is a place where bad things happen.
How border walls trick the human brain and psyche|Jessica Wapner|October 2, 2020|Popular-Science
Psychopaths lack fear, conscience, and morality—functions critically subserved by the amygdala.
What Made the Boston Bombers Do It|Adrian Raine|May 3, 2013|DAILY BEAST
To answer this question we assessed amygdala functioning in 1,795 3-year-old children using fear conditioning.
What Made the Boston Bombers Do It|Adrian Raine|May 3, 2013|DAILY BEAST
One limbic structure affected by this early maldevelopment is the amygdala, which generates emotions like fear.
What Made the Boston Bombers Do It|Adrian Raine|May 3, 2013|DAILY BEAST
His aorta and amygdala do not receive this information by automatic transfer.
Does Fatherhood Make You Healthy?|Anneli Rufus|September 29, 2011|DAILY BEAST
That suggests that “the amygdala is quite sensitive to the quality of maternal care,” says Lupien.
How Sad Moms Change a Child’s Brain|Sharon Begley|August 22, 2011|DAILY BEAST
It derives its name from the Greek word amygdala, an almond.
A Manual of Elementary Geology|Charles Lyell.
The common English name is from the Latin amandola, corrupted from amygdala.
The Nut Culturist|Andrew S. Fuller

British Dictionary definitions for amygdala

amygdala

/ (əˈmɪɡdələ) /

noun plural -lae (-ˌliː)

anatomy an almond-shaped part, such as a tonsil or a lobe of the cerebellum

Word Origin for amygdala

C16: from Medieval Latin: almond

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for amygdala

amygdala

[ ə-mĭg′də-lə ]

n. pl. a•myg•da•lae (-lē)

One of two small, almond-shaped masses of gray matter that are part of the limbic system and are located in the temporal lobes of the cerebral hemispheres.amygdaloid nucleus

The cerebellar tonsil.

Any of the lymphatic tonsils.

Scientific definitions for amygdala

amygdala

[ ə-mĭg′də-lə ]

Plural amygdalae (ə-mĭg′də-lē)

An almond-shaped mass of gray matter in the front part of the temporal lobe of the cerebrum that is part of the limbic system and is involved in the processing and expression of emotions, especially anger and fear.