AMYGDALA

amygdala, amygdaloid nucleus, corpus amygdaloideum

(noun) an almond-shaped neural structure in the anterior part of the temporal lobe of the cerebrum; intimately connected with the hypothalamus and the hippocampus and the cingulate gyrus; as part of the limbic system it plays an important role in motivation and emotional behavior

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Noun

amygdala (plural amygdalas or amygdalae)

(neuroanatomy) The region of the brain, located in the medial temporal lobe, believed to play a key role in the emotions, such as fear and pleasure, in both animals and humans.

Holonyms

• (region of the brain): brain

Source: Wiktionary

A*myg"da*la (a*mig"da*la), n.; pl. -læ (-le). [L., an almond, fr. Gr. 'amygda`lh. See Almond.]

1. An almond.

2. (Anat.) (a) One of the tonsils of the pharynx. (b) One of the rounded prominences of the lower surface of the lateral hemispheres of the cerebellum, each side of the vallecula.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition