Main Entry: pons

Pronunciation: \ˈpänz\

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural pon·tes \ˈpän-ˌtēz\

Etymology: New Latin, short for pons Varolii

Date: 1831

: a broad mass of chiefly transverse nerve fibers in the mammalian brain stem lying ventral to the cerebellum at the anterior end of the medulla oblongata — see brain illustration