cerebellum

American  

[ser-uh-bel-uhm] / ˌsɛr əˈbɛl əm /

noun

Anatomy, Zoology.

PLURAL

cerebellums, cerebella

1. a large portion of the brain, serving to coordinate voluntary movements, posture, and balance in humans, being in back of and below the cerebrum and consisting of two lateral lobes and a central lobe.

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cerebellum British  

/ ˌsɛrɪˈbɛləm /

noun

1. one of the major divisions of the vertebrate brain, situated in man above the medulla oblongata and beneath the cerebrum, whose function is coordination of voluntary movements and maintenance of bodily equilibrium

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cerebellum Scientific  

/ sĕr′ə-bĕl′əm /

PLURAL

cerebellums

1. The part of the vertebrate brain that is located below the cerebrum at the rear of the skull and that coordinates balance and muscle activity. In mammals, the cerebellum is made up of two connecting hemispheres that consist of a core of white matter surrounded by gray matter.

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cerebellum Cultural  

1. The part of the brain that helps control muscle coordination.

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Other Word Forms

• cerebellar adjective
• postcerebellar adjective
• precerebellar adjective
• subcerebellar adjective
• supercerebellar adjective

Etymology

Origin of cerebellum

1555–65; < Latin: brain, diminutive of cerebrum; cerebrum; for formation, castellum

Compare meaning

How does cerebellum compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• cerebrum vs. cerebellum

Example Sentences

Luck is a neuroscientist at Heidelberg University in Germany who studies the development of the cerebellum, located where the spinal cord meets the brain.

From Scientific American

A blood clot had formed in his vertebral artery, cutting off blood supply to the cerebellum, which plays a critical role in motor control.

From Fox News

Rather, the cerebellum seems to contribute specifically to learning about how to earn rewards in a new situation.

From Nature

Some estimates suggested 10 to 20 billion neurons for the human cerebral cortex, others some 60 to 80 billion in another region called the cerebellum.

From Salon

But when doctors looked at brain imaging via a CT scan and MRI, they discovered their patient was living without her cerebellum.

From Fox News

Related Words

• head
• intellect
• mind