thalamus
noun
thal·a·mus
ˈtha-lə-məs 
plural thalami
ˈtha-lə-ˌmī
-ˌmē
-ˌmē
: the largest subdivision of the diencephalon that consists chiefly of an ovoid mass of nuclei in each lateral wall of the third ventricle and serves chiefly to relay impulses and especially sensory impulses to and from the cerebral cortex see brain illustration
Examples of thalamus in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Schiff wondered if stimulating the thalamus could restore some of its function.
—
Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 16 May 2025
Recent studies suggest that brain injuries disconnecting the thalamus—a region that relays movement signals and sensory information between the body and brain—from the cerebral cortex, which is responsible for higher-level cognitive functioning, may be responsible for the condition.
—Jan Claassen, Scientific American, 1 Nov. 2022
The thalamus has never been ruled out from being involved in conscious perception, however it has typically been assigned a minor role as a filter that prepares sensory information to the cortex.
—Jorge Garay, Wired News, 19 Apr. 2025
But a host of other parts of the brain—including the fornix, basal ganglia, thalamus, amygdala, caudate nucleus, and prefrontal cortex—also play a role in consolidating and storing longer term memories.
—Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 20 Mar. 2025
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Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 16 May 2025
Recent studies suggest that brain injuries disconnecting the thalamus—a region that relays movement signals and sensory information between the body and brain—from the cerebral cortex, which is responsible for higher-level cognitive functioning, may be responsible for the condition.
—Jan Claassen, Scientific American, 1 Nov. 2022
The thalamus has never been ruled out from being involved in conscious perception, however it has typically been assigned a minor role as a filter that prepares sensory information to the cortex.
—Jorge Garay, Wired News, 19 Apr. 2025
But a host of other parts of the brain—including the fornix, basal ganglia, thalamus, amygdala, caudate nucleus, and prefrontal cortex—also play a role in consolidating and storing longer term memories.
—Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for thalamus
Cite this Entry
“Thalamus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thalamus. Accessed 28 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
thalamus
noun
thal·a·mus
ˈthal-ə-məs
plural thalami
-ˌmī
-ˌmē
: a subdivision of the forebrain that receives nerve impulses and sends them on to the appropriate parts of the brain cortex
Medical Definition
thalamus
noun
thal·a·mus
ˈthal-ə-məs
: the largest subdivision of the diencephalon that consists chiefly of an ovoid mass of nuclei in each lateral wall of the third ventricle and serves to relay impulses and especially sensory impulses to and from the cerebral cortex
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