Broca's area

noun

Bro·​ca's area ˈbrō-kəz- How to pronounce Broca's area (audio)
: a brain center associated with the motor control of speech and usually located in the left side of the frontal lobe

Examples of Broca's area in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The researchers measured neural activity directly from the surface of the language-generating structure known as Broca's area as subjects read text silently or aloud. Stephani Sutherland, Scientific American, 1 July 2015 This appears to be due to poor coordination between their auditory cortices (the areas responsible for processing basic phonemes) and their Broca's area (the region that processes higher-level language). Breanna Draxler, Discover Magazine, 5 Dec. 2013

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Broca's area.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Paul Broca †1880 French surgeon

First Known Use

1888, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Broca's area was in 1888

Dictionary Entries Near Broca's area

Cite this Entry

“Broca's area.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Broca%27s%20area. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

Broca's area

noun
: a brain center associated with the motor control of speech and usually located in the left but sometimes in the right inferior frontal gyrus

called also Broca's convolution, Broca's gyrus, convolution of Broca

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