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

How Hunger Works The hypothalamus—a part of your brain—plays a key role in controlling hunger and satiety. —Merve Ceylan, Health, 26 Oct. 2025

As estrogen decreases during menopause, nerves in the hypothalamus — an almond-size region deep inside the brain whose functions include helping regulate the body’s thermostat — become hyperactive and produce an overabundance of chemical signals called neurokinins. —Jacqueline Howard, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2025

The hypothalamus helps with all those challenges in animals. —Big Think, 18 Oct. 2025

Cortisol, which is produced by the adrenal glands and released by the hypothalamus in the brain, impacts many of the body’s systems and plays a key role in regulating immune function, metabolism, inflammatory and stress responses. —Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 17 Sep. 2025

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

• panoramas
• 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)