olfactory bulb

noun

: a bulbous anterior projection of the olfactory lobe that is the place of termination of the olfactory nerves and is especially well developed in lower vertebrates (such as fishes)

Examples of olfactory bulb in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There are hundreds of molecules that excite our olfactory bulbs and taste buds, and the way those molecules are gathered determines how the flavoring ingredient is categorized. —Ali Bouzari, Bon Appetit Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025

The olfactory bulb is the first part of the brain that receives information about what’s been inhaled through the nose. —Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 11 Feb. 2025

In September 2024, these miniature pollutants were also discovered in the human olfactory bulb, a type of brain tissue that sits above the nose in the forebrain. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Feb. 2025

Salinas has always had a hunch that bacteria might be leaking from the nose into the olfactory bulb. —Yasemin Saplakoglu, WIRED, 5 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1851, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for olfactory bulb

• lightbulb

Kids Definition

olfactory bulb

noun

: either of two small round structures projecting from the lower surface of the brain above the nasal cavity that transmit stimuli from the olfactory nerves to other areas of the brain for processing

Medical Definition

olfactory bulb

noun

: a bulbous anterior projection of the olfactory lobe that is the place of termination of the olfactory nerves