Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

hindbrain

American  
[hahynd-breyn] / ˈhaɪndˌbreɪn /

noun

Anatomy.
  1. the most posterior of the three primary divisions of the brain in the embryo of a vertebrate or the part of the adult brain derived from this tissue, including the cerebellum, pons, and medulla oblongata; rhombencephalon.


hindbrain British  
/ ˈhaɪndˌbreɪn /

noun

  1. the nontechnical name for rhombencephalon

"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

hindbrain Scientific  
/ hīndbrān′ /
  1. The rearmost part of the vertebrate brain. In humans, it consists of the pons and the medulla oblongata.

  2. Compare forebrain midbrain


Etymology

Origin of hindbrain

First recorded in 1885–90; hind 1 + brain

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Using induced pluripotent stem cells from people with Alzheimer's disease and healthy individuals, the team created hindbrain organoids containing specialized brain cells, or neurons, that produce the neurotransmitter serotonin.

From Science Daily Jul. 22, 2026

The Johns Hopkins researchers studied miniature models of the hindbrain, a region at the back of the skull that helps control essential functions such as breathing, sleep and heart rate.

From Science Daily Jul. 22, 2026

The cells were guided to organize themselves into small, pea-sized clusters of brain tissue that resemble the hindbrain.

From Science Daily Jul. 22, 2026

Something malicious and alive, an indicator of a deeper rot, has crept into your space while you weren’t paying attention, your pest-wary hindbrain yells.

From Salon Nov. 7, 2025

There were the cerebral lobes, or largest part of the forebrain, enormously developed and overhanging the cerebellum, or great lobe of the hindbrain, and completely covering the lobes of the midbrain.

From Byways of Ghost-Land by O'Donnell, Elliott

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training