Dictionary.com

thalamus

[ thal-uh-muhs ]
/ ˈθæl ə məs /

noun, plural thal·a·mi [thal-uh-mahy]. /ˈθæl əˌmaɪ/.

Anatomy. the middle part of the diencephalon through which sensory impulses pass to reach the cerebral cortex.
Botany. a receptacle or torus.
Also called thalamium. an apartment for women in an ancient Greek house.

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Origin of thalamus

1695–1705; <New Latin; Latin: bedroom <Greek thálamos

OTHER WORDS FROM thalamus

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for thalamus

  • His motivation had been thalamic rather than cortical and he was having trouble externalizing it verbally.

    A Slave is a Slave|Henry Beam Piper

British Dictionary definitions for thalamus

thalamus
/ (ˈθæləməs) /

noun plural -mi (-ˌmaɪ)

either of the two contiguous egg-shaped masses of grey matter at the base of the brain
both of these masses considered as a functional unit
the receptacle or torus of a flower

Derived forms of thalamus

thalamic (θəˈlæmɪk), adjectivethalamically, adverb

Word Origin for thalamus

C18: from Latin, Greek thalamos inner room; probably related to Greek tholos vault
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

Medical definitions for thalamus

thalamus
[ thăl′ə-məs ]

n. pl. thal•a•mi (-mī′)

A large ovoid mass of gray matter that forms the larger dorsal subdivision of the diencephalon and is located medial to the internal capsule and to the body and tail of the caudate nucleus. It functions in the relay of sensory impulses to the cerebral cortex.

Other words from thalamus

tha•lam′ic (thə-lăm′ĭk) adj.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Scientific definitions for thalamus

thalamus
[ thăl′ə-məs ]

Plural thalami (thăl′ə-mī′)

The part of the vertebrate brain that lies at the rear of the forebrain. It relays sensory information to the cerebral cortex and regulates the perception of touch, pain, and temperature.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for thalamus

thalamus
[ (thal-uh-muhs) ]

The part of the brain that coordinates nerve impulses relating to the senses of sight, hearing, touch, and taste.

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.