Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The trilobed structure of the brain, lying posterior to the pons and medulla oblongata and inferior to the occipital lobes of the cerebral hemispheres, that is responsible for the regulation and coordination of complex voluntary muscular movement as well as the maintenance of posture and balance.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The little brain or hind-brain of a vertebrate animal; a lobe of the brain developed on the dorsal side of the cerebrospinal axis, between the corpora quadrigemina in front and the medulla oblongata behind, and forming part of the roof of the fourth ventricle.
  • noun In Insecta, the subesophageal ganglion, situated in the lower part of the head, and connected with the supra-esophageal ganglion or cerebrum by two nerve-chords surrounding the gullet

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Anat.) The large lobe of the hind brain in front of and above the medulla; the little brain. It controls combined muscular action. See brain.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun neuroanatomy Part of the hindbrain in vertebrates. In humans it lies between the brainstem and the cerebrum. It plays an important role in sensory perception, motor output, balance and posture.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a major division of the vertebrate brain; situated above the medulla oblongata and beneath the cerebrum in humans

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Medieval Latin, from Latin, diminutive of cerebrum, brain; see ker- in Indo-European roots.]

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Examples

  • The Purkinje cell of the cerebellum is used as an example to illustrate the revelatory power of the Golgi stain, and why it was and still is important.

    Black Reaction - La reazione nera 2010

  • The cerebellum is the rear, lower part of the brain that controls signals from the muscles to coordinate balance and motor learning.

    January 24th, 2006 2006

  • When the cerebellum is infected the ability to coordinate body movements declines.

    Physiology or Medicine for 1997 - Press Release 1997

  • Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker (GSS) disease the cerebellum is damaged.

    Physiology or Medicine for 1997 - Press Release 1997

  • The researchers decided to work on an area of the brain called the cerebellum, which is responsible for controlling and timing motor movements, such as learning how to blink in response to a stimulus.

    BBC News - Home 2012

  • Adult Lhermitte-Duclos disease (LDD): a hamartomatous overgrowth in a particular area of the brain known as the cerebellum

    PTEN Hamartoma Tumor syndrome 2009

  • As Peterson learned all too well over the next two decades, the disease gradually destroys an area of the brain called the cerebellum, taking muscle control with it.

    A Certain Bittersweet Comfort 2008

  • The cerebellum is the balance and coordination area of the brain.

    The Human Brain, Part 1 of a Series 2007

  • Neuroscientists at University College London discovered that a part of the brain called the cerebellum differentiates between sensations we create ourselves and ones generated externally.

    TIP SHEET 2007

  • Neuroscientists at University College London discovered that a part of the brain called the cerebellum differentiates between sensations we create ourselves and ones generated externally.

    ASK TIP SHEET 2007

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