amygdala

noun

amyg·da·la | \ ə-ˈmig-də-lə

plural amygdalae\ ə-ˈmig-də-ˌlē

, -ˌlī \

Definition of amygdala

: the one of the four basal ganglia in each cerebral hemisphere that is part of the limbic system and consists of an almond-shaped mass of gray matter in the anterior extremity of the temporal lobe

— called also amygdaloid nucleus

Examples of amygdala in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The olfactory bulb sends information to the amygdala, which is involved with experiencing emotions, and the hippocampus, the memory center. — April Long, Marie Claire, "Aromatherapy Perfumes: Do They Really Work?," 20 Feb. 2019 Hormones released in the amygdala itself also have been shown to affect bravery. — Rowan Hooper, WSJ, "The Biology of Bravery—and Fear," 19 Oct. 2018 And without it, the parts of the brain that deal with attachment and fear — the amygdala and hippocampus — develop differently. — William Wan, chicagotribune.com, "What separation from parents does to children: 'The effect is catastrophic'," 18 June 2018 Connections between the amygdala and hippocampus were also weak in the infected macaques, which suggests signals sent between those two areas—ones that would help the infants recognize and respond to stressful situations—would be slow or spotty. — Dina Fine Maron, Scientific American, "Zika Exposure Even after Birth May Lead to Brain Damage," 4 Apr. 2018 Not completely away, but in a synaptic cabinet beneath my amygdala. — Abby Ellin, Marie Claire, "I Almost Married a Con Man," 8 Jan. 2019 But the amygdala isn’t the only candidate for controlling fear. — Rowan Hooper, WSJ, "The Biology of Bravery—and Fear," 19 Oct. 2018 One study suggests that parents help children to induce a more mature form of amygdala-prefrontal connectivity that encourages effective regulation. — Dylan Gee, Vox, "I study kids who were separated from their parents. The trauma could change their brains forever.," 20 June 2018 Indeed, taking the amygdala entirely out of the picture can virtually eliminate fear. — Rowan Hooper, WSJ, "The Biology of Bravery—and Fear," 19 Oct. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'amygdala.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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15 Mar 2019

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The first known use of amygdala was in 1845

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amygdala

noun

amyg·da·la | \ ə-ˈmig-də-lə

plural amygdalae\ -ˌlē

, -ˌlī

Medical Definition of amygdala

: the one of the four basal ganglia in each cerebral hemisphere that is part of the limbic system and consists of an almond-shaped mass of gray matter in the roof of the lateral ventricle

— called also amygdaloid body, amygdaloid nucleus