cerebellum

[ ser-uh-bel-uhm ]

noun

, Anatomy, Zoology.

, plural cer·e·bel·lums, cer·e·bel·la [ser-, uh, -, bel, -, uh].

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.

cerebellum

/ 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

cerebellum

/ 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.

cerebellum

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

Derived Forms

• ˌcereˈbellar, adjective

Other Words From

• 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of cerebellum¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of cerebellum¹

C16: from Latin, diminutive of cerebrum

Example Sentences

So I believe the way the cerebellum is wired up does not give rise to consciousness.

From Nautilus

She’s one of the extremely rare cases of people born without a cerebellum, including deep cerebellar nuclei.

From Nautilus

The doctors did a CAT scan and found a big hole in her brain where the cerebellum should have been.

From Nautilus

In fact, some of the most beautiful neurons in the brain, so-called Purkinje cells, are found in the cerebellum.

From Nautilus

Askew chose to re-create a type of neuron known as a Purkinje cell from a human cerebellum, a structure at the back and bottom of the brain that helps coordinate movement.

From Science News

“In the case of autism, the early-life cerebellum might be a target for future intervention,” concludes Dr. Wang.

From The Daily Beast

It could be that those downstream abnormalities in cell development were due to improper signaling from the cerebellum.

From The Daily Beast

Like the cerebrum, the cerebellum has two hemispheres, separated by a structure called the vermis.

From The Daily Beast

Apparently, activity in my cerebellum—responsible for coordination, organization, and judgment—drops when I try to focus.

From The Daily Beast

The nerve cells which take charge of such acts are located in the cerebellum or spinal cord.

From Project Gutenberg

The actual performance of the action is then taken up by the cerebellum, medulla, and spinal ganglia.

From Project Gutenberg

When the human cerebellum is cut vertically, a tree-like appearance seen receives this name.

From Project Gutenberg

Posteriorly is situated the hind-brain, now consisting of the medulla oblongata and cerebellum.

From Project Gutenberg

In Scyllium, however, indications appear in the hind-brain of its future division into a cerebellum and medulla oblongata.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• head
• intellect
• mind