corpus callosum

noun

corpus cal·​lo·​sum -ka-ˈlō-səm How to pronounce corpus callosum (audio)
-kə-
plural corpora callosa -ka-ˈlō-sə How to pronounce corpus callosum (audio)
-kə-
: the great band of commissural fibers uniting the cerebral hemispheres of higher mammals including humans see brain illustration

Examples of corpus callosum in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The impulse is so ingrained that when patients have their corpus callosum severed, making communication between the two hemispheres of the brain impossible, the left hemisphere simply invents plausible explanations to account for inputs to the right side of the brain that the left side hasn’t seen. Brian Klaas, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2024 This reduction was evident in a region called corpus callosum, which connects the right and left brain hemispheres. Ignacio Amigo, Discover Magazine, 4 Nov. 2022 On the other hand, Maguire has long doubted that mutations in such important genes, used in nearly all cells, could cause defects only in the corpus callosum, and only in speech. Amber Dance Knowable Magazine, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Sep. 2020 The corpus callosum is a part of the brain that connects the two hemispheres—the right side of the brain communicates with the left side of the body and the left side of the brain communicates with the right side of the body through the corpus callosum. Milo F. Bryant, Men's Health, 29 June 2022 See all Example Sentences for corpus callosum 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'corpus callosum.' 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

borrowed from New Latin, literally, "tough body"

First Known Use

1677, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of corpus callosum was in 1677

Dictionary Entries Near corpus callosum

Cite this Entry

“Corpus callosum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/corpus%20callosum. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Medical Definition

corpus callosum

noun
corpus cal·​lo·​sum
-ka-ˈlō-səm, -kə-
plural corpora callosa -sə How to pronounce corpus callosum (audio)
: the great band of commissural fibers uniting the cerebral hemispheres

More from Merriam-Webster on corpus callosum

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!