amygdala

noun

amyg·​da·​la ə-ˈmig-də-lə How to pronounce amygdala (audio)
plural amygdalae ə-ˈmig-də-ˌlē How to pronounce amygdala (audio)
-ˌlī
: 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 hippocampus is near and tightly connected to the amygdala. Arash Javanbakht, Discover Magazine, 7 Sep. 2023 In a paper published in 2015, Tye, then at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and her colleagues found those neurons in a part of the amygdala called the basolateral amygdala. Ingrid Wickelgren, Scientific American, 12 Aug. 2022 According to Northwestern Medicine, when the decision-making part of your brain senses a threat, the amygdala (the brain’s processing center for emotions) alerts the hypothalamus (the brain’s coordinating center) to initiate fight or flight. USA TODAY, 10 July 2023 Meanwhile, fear is curtailed: the amygdala, the brain’s threat response system, quietens down. Frances Vinall, Washington Post, 29 June 2023 Those who had been traumatized by a physical threat exhibited elevated resting neuronal activity in their right amygdala, a part of the brain associated with emotional responses, particularly fear. Constance Sommer, Discover Magazine, 26 July 2022 The brain’s olfactory cortex, which processes smell, is a direct neighbor to the amygdala, which helps govern our most basic emotional and hormonal responses, and the two regions are heavily interconnected. WIRED, 11 Aug. 2023 That threat activates a part of the brain called the amygdala, which serves as a center that processes both fearful and threatening stimuli. Naomi Weinshenker, Discover Magazine, 2 Mar. 2023 Neuroscience shows a more active and better-connected amygdala (emotional center) in the brains of men who are the primary caretakers in the family. Time, 17 June 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'amygdala.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Latin, almond, from Greek amygdalē

First Known Use

1845, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of amygdala was in 1845

Dictionary Entries Near amygdala

Cite this Entry

“Amygdala.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/amygdala. Accessed 3 Oct. 2023.

Medical Definition

amygdala

noun
amyg·​da·​la ə-ˈmig-də-lə How to pronounce amygdala (audio)
plural amygdalae -ˌlē How to pronounce amygdala (audio) -ˌlī How to pronounce amygdala (audio)
: 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

More from Merriam-Webster on amygdala

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