Main Entry: thal·a·mus

Pronunciation: \ˈtha-lə-məs\

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural thal·a·mi \-ˌmī, -ˌmē\

Etymology: New Latin, from Greek thalamos chamber

Date: 1859

: the largest subdivision of the diencephalon that consists chiefly of an ovoid mass of nuclei in each lateral wall of the third ventricle and serves chiefly to relay impulses and especially sensory impulses to and from the cerebral cortex — see brain illustration

— tha·lam·ic \thə-ˈla-mik\ adjective