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cerebellum

[ ser-uh-bel-uh m ]
/ ˌsɛr əˈbɛl əm /

noun, plural cer·e·bel·lums, cer·e·bel·la [ser-uh-bel-uh] /ˌsɛr əˈbɛl ə/. Anatomy, Zoology.

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.

RELATED WORDS

head, intellect, wit, mentality, encephalon, cerebrum

Nearby words

  1. cerebellar syndrome,
  2. cerebellar tonsil,
  3. cerebellar vein,
  4. cerebellitis,
  5. cerebellomedullary cistern,
  6. cerebr-,
  7. cerebral,
  8. cerebral accident,
  9. cerebral amyloid angiopathy,
  10. cerebral anesthesia

Origin of cerebellum

1555–65; < Latin: brain, diminutive of cerebrum; see cerebrum; for formation, see castellum
Related forms
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for cerebella

cerebellum

/ (ˌsɛrɪˈbɛləm) /

noun plural -lums or -la (-lə)

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
Derived Formscerebellar, adjective

Word Origin for cerebellum

C16: from Latin, diminutive of cerebrum
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
Word Origin and History for cerebella

cerebellum

n.

1560s, from Latin cerebellum "a small brain," diminutive of cerebrum "brain" (see cerebral).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Medicine definitions for cerebella

cerebellum

[ sĕr′ə-bĕl′əm ]

n. pl. cer•e•bel•lums

The trilobed structure of the brain, lying posterior to the pons and medulla oblongata and inferior to the occipital lobes of the cerebral hemispheres, responsible for the regulation and coordination of complex voluntary muscular movement and the maintenance of posture and balance.
Related formscer′e•bel′lar (-bĕl′ər) adj.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Science definitions for cerebella

cerebellum

[ sĕr′ə-bĕl′əm ]

Plural cerebellums cerebella

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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Culture definitions for cerebella

cerebellum

[ (ser-uh-bel-uhm) ]

The part of the brain that helps control muscle coordination.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.