thalamus

noun

thal·​a·​mus ˈtha-lə-məs 

plural thalami ˈtha-lə-ˌmī  -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

thalamic

thə-ˈla-mik 

adjective

Examples of thalamus in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

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

Their presence indicates that connections between the thalamus and cortex — two key parts of the brain necessary for consciousness — are intact and working. —Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 4 Mar. 2025

Earlier work showed that, in mice, a specialized region of the brain — the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT) was involved in both responding to threats and treats. —Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 5 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Greek thalamos chamber

First Known Use

1859, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for thalamus

• calamus

Kids 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 

plural thalami -ˌmī  -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 to relay impulses and especially sensory impulses to and from the cerebral cortex