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