hypothalamus

noun

hy·​po·​thal·​a·​mus ˌhī-pō-ˈtha-lə-məs 

: a basal part of the diencephalon that lies beneath the thalamus on each side, forms the floor of the third ventricle, and includes vital autonomic regulatory centers

Examples of hypothalamus in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Gugel says the molecule, which is called pTOS, appears to act as an appetite suppressant by targeting the hypothalamus in the brain. — Ari Daniel, NPR, 13 July 2026

Oxytocin is a hormone produced in the part of the brain called the hypothalamus and is released from the pituitary gland into the bloodstream. — Camille Hoffman, The Conversation, 7 July 2026

The hypothalamus is the part of the brain that regulates appetite through different groups of neurons, including pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) neurons that control satiety. — Isabella Backman, Hartford Courant, 12 June 2026

The loci cluster around genes involved in circadian regulation, retinal photoreception and signaling pathways in the hypothalamus and hindbrain. — Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin (in a German context), from hypo- hypo- + thalamus thalamus

Note: The term was introduced in an article by the Swiss-born anatomist Wilhelm His (1831-1904), "Ueber das frontale Ende des Gehirnrohres," Archiv für Anatomie und Physiologie: Anatomische Abtheilung, Jahrgang 1893, p. 159. His attributes the suggestion of the word to his colleague "Waldeyer" (the anatomist Heinrich Wilhelm Gottfried von Waldeyer-Hartz, 1836-1921), as a replacement for his own coinage Regio subthalamica.

First Known Use

1896, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for hypothalamus

• pyramus

Kids Definition

hypothalamus

noun

hy·​po·​thal·​a·​mus ˌhī-pō-ˈthal-ə-məs 

: a part of the brain that lies beneath the thalamus, produces hormones which pass to the front part of the pituitary gland, and is important in regulating the activities of the autonomic nervous system

Medical Definition

hypothalamus

noun

hy·​po·​thal·​a·​mus -ˈthal-ə-məs 

plural hypothalami -ˌmī 

: a basal part of the diencephalon that lies beneath the thalamus on each side, forms the floor of the third ventricle, and includes vital autonomic regulatory centers (as for the control of food intake)