amygdala

[ uh-mig-duh-luh ]

noun

, Anatomy.

, plural a·myg·da·lae [uh, -, mig, -d, uh, -lee].

1. an almond-shaped part, as a tonsil.
2. a ganglion of the limbic system adjoining the temporal lobe of the brain and involved in emotions of fear and aggression.

amygdala

/ əˈmɪɡdələ /

noun

1. anatomy an almond-shaped part, such as a tonsil or a lobe of the cerebellum

amygdala

/ ə-mĭg′də-lə /

, Plural amygdalae ə-mĭg′də-lē

1. An almond-shaped mass of gray matter in the front part of the temporal lobe of the cerebrum that is part of the limbic system and is involved in the processing and expression of emotions, especially anger and fear.

Word History and Origins

Origin of amygdala¹

before 950; < Medieval Latin: almond, tonsil, Latin: almond < Greek amygdálē; replacing Middle English amygdal, Old English amigdal almond < Latin amygdalon < Greek amýgdalon; almond

Word History and Origins

Origin of amygdala¹

C16: from Medieval Latin: almond

Example Sentences

No need to tell us about the role the amygdala or stress hormones play in anxiety, we knew how we were wired.

From Washington Post

This may be because of changes in your amygdala, the main area of your brain responsible for emotions like fear.

From Popular-Science

The team found that fear transfer relied on connections from the cortex to part of the amygdala, a region known to respond to fear.

From Science News

For example, among a group of study participants who underwent an eight-week mindfulness class, MRIs showed their amygdalae shrank.

From Popular-Science

Kate Jeffery, a neuroscientist at University College London, explains that the amygdala—the emotional center of the brain—plays a role in spatial awareness by sending messages like, This is a place where bad things happen.

From Popular-Science

Psychopaths lack fear, conscience, and morality—functions critically subserved by the amygdala.

From The Daily Beast

To answer this question we assessed amygdala functioning in 1,795 3-year-old children using fear conditioning.

From The Daily Beast

One limbic structure affected by this early maldevelopment is the amygdala, which generates emotions like fear.

From The Daily Beast

His aorta and amygdala do not receive this information by automatic transfer.

From The Daily Beast

That suggests that “the amygdala is quite sensitive to the quality of maternal care,” says Lupien.

From The Daily Beast

It derives its name from the Greek word amygdala, an almond.

From Project Gutenberg

The common English name is from the Latin amandola, corrupted from amygdala.

From Project Gutenberg