brain stem

noun

: the part of the brain composed of the midbrain, pons, and medulla oblongata and connecting the spinal cord with the forebrain and cerebrum

Examples of brain stem in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

De La Torre had been diagnosed with an unusual form of cancer, a rare tumor attached to his brain stem. —Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 18 June 2026

What the Vagus Nerve Does in Your Body The vagus nerve is the longest cranial nerve in the human body, running from the brain stem down through the neck and chest into the abdomen, connecting to the heart, lungs and gut. —Allison Palmer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 May 2026

The only way to positively identify chronic wasting disease in deer is through laboratory testing of deer lymph node or brain stem tissue. —Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 28 Apr. 2026

The locus coeruleus and Alzheimer’s disease The locus coeruleus sits in the brain stem, the lowest part of the brain. —Elizabeth Riley, The Conversation, 26 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1874, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for brain stem

• condemn
• mayhem
• atm
• diadem
• ibidem
• meristem
• clem
• em
• femme
• gem
• hem
• phlegm

Kids Definition

brain stem

noun

: the back and lower part of the brain including the midbrain and medulla oblongata

Medical Definition

brain stem

noun

-ˌstem 

: the part of the brain composed of the midbrain, pons, and medulla oblongata and connecting the spinal cord with the forebrain and cerebrum