Showing results for midbrain. Search instead for mid-brain.

midbrain

American

[mid-breyn] / ˈmɪdˌbreɪn /

noun

Anatomy.

the middle 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; mesencephalon.

midbrain British

/ ˈmɪdˌbreɪn /

noun

the nontechnical name for mesencephalon

"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

midbrain Scientific

/ mĭd′brān′ /

The middle part of the vertebrate brain. In most animals except mammals, the midbrain processes sensory information. In mammals, it serves primarily to connect the forebrain with the hindbrain.
Compare forebrain hindbrain

Etymology

Origin of midbrain

First recorded in 1870–75; mid- + brain

Vocabulary lists containing midbrain

Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Prefixes: mid-

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

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:

midbrain

This "comprehensive reference map" now serves as a global standard for evaluating how accurately midbrain models match real human biology.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 3, 2025

A second, higher-resolution projection targets the midbrain with added precision and pinpoints dopaminergic neurons.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 3, 2025

Northwestern's Zhou found correlations to BMI in the circuit between the olfactory tubercle and the midbrain region, the periaqueductal gray.

From Science Daily ● May 16, 2024

Analyzing the aquatically loquacious may also give us clues about whether midbrain injuries in humans may be linked to a person being mute or uncommunicative, according to Bass.

From Salon ● Jan. 8, 2024

On account of the great size of the cerebrum, the midbrain is entirely concealed from view when the other parts occupy their normal positions.

From Physiology and Hygiene for Secondary Schools by Francis M. Walters

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023