neocortex

noun

neo·​cor·​tex ˌnē-ō-ˈkȯr-ˌteks 

: the large 6-layered dorsal region of the cerebral cortex that is unique to mammals

broadly : the mammalian cerebral cortex

Examples of neocortex in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Soon, the nascent biofilm had acquired the origami-like folds of the neocortex. —Carrie Arnold, Quanta Magazine, 21 Apr. 2025

These slow waves make the neocortex–where long-term memory is stored in the brain–particularly receptive to new information. —Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 12 Dec. 2024

The circuits that composed the mammalian neocortex and the avian DVR developed at different times, in different orders and in different regions of the brain. —Yasemin Saplakoglu, Quanta Magazine, 7 Apr. 2025

The former is hardwired in the primitive brain (selecting for physical and social strength) and the latter is probably hardwired into the neocortex (selecting for the strength of intelligence). —Jason D. Greenblatt, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from German Neocortex, from neo- neo- + Cortex cortex; from its being the cortex of the phylogenetically most recently developed part of the brain

First Known Use

1909, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for neocortex

• cortex
• vortex

Medical Definition

neocortex

noun

neo·​cor·​tex ˌnē-ō-ˈkȯr-ˌteks 

plural neocortices -ˈkȯrt-ə-ˌsēz  or neocortexes

: the large 6-layered dorsal region of the cerebral cortex that is unique to mammals

broadly : the mammalian cerebral cortex