hippocampus

American  

[hip-uh-kam-puhs] / ˌhɪp əˈkæm pəs /

noun

plural

hippocampi

1. Classical Mythology. a fish-tailed horse of the sea that was ridden by the sea gods.

2. Anatomy. an enfolding of cerebral cortex into the lateral fissure of a cerebral hemisphere, having a major role in learning, emotion, and memory, and named for the seahorse shape of its cross section.

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hippocampus British  

/ ˌhɪpəʊˈkæmpəs /

noun

1. a mythological sea creature with the forelegs of a horse and the tail of a fish

2. any marine teleost fish of the genus Hippocampus, having a horselike head See sea horse

3. an area of cerebral cortex that forms a ridge in the floor of the lateral ventricle of the brain, which in cross section has the shape of a sea horse. It functions as part of the limbic system

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hippocampus Scientific  

/ hĭp′ə-kăm′pəs /

plural

hippocampi

1. A convoluted, seahorse-shaped structure in the cerebral cortex of the temporal lobe of the brain, composed of two gyri with white matter above gray matter. It forms part of the limbic system and is involved in the processing of emotions and memory.

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Other Word Forms

• hippocampal adjective

Etymology

Origin of hippocampus

First recorded in 1575–80; from Latin hippocampus, hippocampos, from Greek hippókampos, equivalent to hippo- hippo- + kámpos “sea monster”

Example Sentences

As part of their clinical evaluation, electrodes had already been placed in the hippocampus and nearby regions that are critical for memory.

From Science Daily

It activates or suppresses genes within the circuit connecting the brain's reward center and the hippocampus, which serves as the brain's memory hub.

From Science Daily

Levels of cholesterol and glycogen varied across regions, with the most dramatic contrasts appearing in areas responsible for memory, particularly the hippocampus and cortex.

From Science Daily

Participants whose vascular indicators more closely resembled those of cognitively healthy adults tended to have lower amyloid levels and a larger hippocampus.

From Science Daily

This replay activity takes place in the hippocampus, a brain region essential for learning and memory.

From Science Daily