Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A ridge in the floor of each lateral ventricle of the brain that consists mainly of gray matter and has a central role in memory processes.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun In mythology, a sea-horse with two fore feet and a body ending in the tail of a dolphin or other fish.
- noun [capitalized] In zoology, the typical genus of seahorses of the family Hippocampidæ.
- noun In anatomy, a raised curved trace or track on the floor of the lateral ventricle of the brain.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun (Class. Myth.) A fabulous monster, with the head and fore quarters of a horse joined to the tail of a dolphin or other fish (
Hippocampus brevirostris ), -- seen in Pompeian paintings, attached to the chariot of Neptune. - noun (Zoöl.) A genus of lophobranch fishes of several species in which the head and neck have some resemblance to those of a horse; -- called also
sea horse . - noun (Zoöl.) A name applied to either of two ridges of white matter in each lateral ventricle of the brain. The larger is called
hippocampus major or simplyhippocampus . The smaller,hippocampus minor , is called alsoergot andcalcar .
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun A
mythological creature with the front head and forelimbs of a horse and the rear of a dolphin; ahippocamp . - noun anatomy A part of the
brain located inside thetemporal lobe , consisting mainly ofgrey matter . It is a component of thelimbic system and plays a role in memory and emotion. So named because of its resemblance to the seahorse.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun seahorses
- noun a complex neural structure (shaped like a sea horse) consisting of grey matter and located on the floor of each lateral ventricle; intimately involved in motivation and emotion as part of the limbic system; has a central role in the formation of memories
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
Support
Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word hippocampus.
Examples
-
Well … to be fair the hippocampus is actually based on a mythological creature.
Something Awful on the 1e Monster Manual « Geek Related 2009
-
The part of the brain called the hippocampus, which is responsible for short-term memory, emotional memory and concentration, is damaged by long-term stress.
Paul and Rachel Chandler: a period of decompression is needed James Meikle 2010
-
There's an area of the brain called the hippocampus, which is responsible for memories.
-
The hippocampus is involved in explicit (or declarative) memory, memory for people, objects, or places, memories that require conscious participation for recall.
-
Cajal and Lorente de Nó had pointed out, the cellular architecture of the hippocampus is remarkably conserved among mammals, and the main cell type, the pyramidal cell, is found in
-
In turn, this improves brain function related to the area of the brain called the hippocampus, which is the center for memory and learning.
The Full Feed from HuffingtonPost.com The Huffington Post News Editors 2011
-
In the 1980s, researchers directly stimulated a brain region in humans called the hippocampus, which is critical in memory formation; but the current interfered with new memories.
NYT > Home Page By BENEDICT CAREY 2012
-
At noon, both groups took part in a series of rigorous learning tests intended to tax a region of the brain called the hippocampus, which is known to be involved in the formation of short-term memory.
Seeker Blog Steve Darden 2010
-
At noon, both groups took part in a series of rigorous learning tests intended to tax a region of the brain called the hippocampus, which is known to be involved in the formation of short-term memory.
Seeker Blog Steve Darden 2010
-
At midday, all of the volunteers took part in a learning test designed to exercise a region of the brain called the hippocampus, which is involved in storing memories.
mahalie commented on the word hippocampus
"Have you heard of the hippocampus? It's one of the most ancient parts of the brain, located deep within the temporal lobes and adjacent to the amygdala. This horseshoe-shaped structure plays a central role in learning, memory, and wayfinding. We know rats rely on the hippocampus for maze navigation. It's essential for both path integration and the processing of cognitive maps. We know neurons called "place cells" are intensely active when a rat revisits familiar locations. And we know animals and humans experience severe disorientation when the hippocampus is damaged." Peter Morville in his book Ambient Findability
January 4, 2007
uselessness commented on the word hippocampus
All my body parts are the same age. ;-)
January 4, 2007
reesetee commented on the word hippocampus
In mythology, a sea horse with two forefeet and a body ending in the tail of a dolphin or fish. Wonder how it ended up in the human brain.... ;-)
February 4, 2007
qroqqa commented on the word hippocampus
The term 'sea-horse (hippocampus)' has been used in modern grants of arms to refer to the real sea creature, as distinct from the heraldic monster called the sea-horse (which apparently can also be called a hippocampus). Source: J. P. Brooke-Little's footnote 87 to Fox-Davies's A Complete Guide to Heraldry
June 11, 2009