cerebellum

[ ser-uh-bel-uhm ]
See synonyms for cerebellum on Thesaurus.com
noun,plural cer·e·bel·lums, cer·e·bel·la [ser-uh-bel-uh]. /ˌsɛr əˈbɛl ə/. Anatomy, Zoology.
  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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Origin of cerebellum

1
1555–65; <Latin: brain, diminutive of cerebrum;see cerebrum; for formation, see castellum

Other words from cerebellum

  • cer·e·bel·lar, adjective
  • post·cer·e·bel·lar, adjective
  • pre·cer·e·bel·lar, adjective
  • sub·cer·e·bel·lar, adjective
  • su·per·cer·e·bel·lar, adjective

Words Nearby cerebellum

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How to use cerebellum in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for cerebellum

cerebellum

/ (ˌsɛrɪˈbɛləm) /


nounplural -lums or -la (-lə)
  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

Origin of cerebellum

1
C16: from Latin, diminutive of cerebrum

Derived forms of cerebellum

  • cerebellar, adjective

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

Scientific definitions for cerebellum

cerebellum

[ sĕr′ə-bĕləm ]


Plural cerebellums cerebella
  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.

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

Cultural definitions for cerebellum

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.