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paleencephalon

[pey-lee-en-sef-uh-lon; especially British pal-ee-]
noun, plural pa·le·en·ceph·a·la [pey-lee-en-sef-uh-luh; especially British pal-ee-] /ˌpeɪ li ɛnˈsɛf ə lə; especially British ˌpæl i-/.
  1. (no longer in technical use) the more primitive part of the brain in the evolutionary development of animals, including all parts except the cerebral cortex and its related structures.
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Also paleoencephalon.
Compare neencephalon.

Origin of paleencephalon

From New Latin, dating back to 1915–20; see origin at pale-, encephalon
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018