thalamus

American  

[thal-uh-muhs] / ˈθæl ə məs /

noun

• thalami
  plural

1. Anatomy. the middle part of the diencephalon through which sensory impulses pass to reach the cerebral cortex.

2. Botany. a receptacle or torus.

3. Also called thalamium. an apartment for women in an ancient Greek house.

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thalamus British  

/ ˈθæləməs /

noun

1. either of the two contiguous egg-shaped masses of grey matter at the base of the brain

2. both of these masses considered as a functional unit

3. the receptacle or torus of a flower

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thalamus Scientific  

/ thăl′ə-məs /

• thalami
  plural

1. The part of the vertebrate brain that lies at the rear of the forebrain. It relays sensory information to the cerebral cortex and regulates the perception of touch, pain, and temperature.

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thalamus Cultural  

1. The part of the brain that coordinates nerve impulses relating to the senses of sight, hearing, touch, and taste.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• postthalamic
  adjective
• subthalamic
  adjective
• thalamic
  adjective
• transthalamic
  adjective
• thalamically
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• thalami
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of thalamus

1695–1705; < New Latin; Latin: bedroom < Greek thálamos

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Compare meaning

How does thalamus compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• hypothalamus vs. thalamus

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Explanation

The thalamus is an egg-shaped mass of gray matter that's located in the middle of the brain. The thalamus is responsible for transmitting sensory signals between different parts of the brain. The thalamus plays a crucial role in regulating consciousness, sleep, and alertness by directing sensory information to different parts of the brain. It receives input from sensory organs such as the eyes, ears, and skin and then relays that information to other regions of the brain for further processing. This important structure, which is located near the center of the brain, gets its name from the Greek word thalamos, which means "inner chamber."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

thalamus thalami

The researchers identified changes in a specific part of the thalamus called the pulvinar.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 8, 2026

After crossing, signals travel upward to the thalamus, a brain region located above the midbrain that plays a central role in processing sensory and movement information.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 4, 2026

Professor Fumitaka Osakada, graduate student Masatoshi Nishimura, and their colleagues at the Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Nagoya University developed assembloids that model interactions between the thalamus and the cortex.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 7, 2026

Synchronized activity was seen in PT and CT neurons, both of which send signals back to the thalamus.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 7, 2026

An important vaso-motor centre for the brain vessels exists, possibly diffused through an area somewhere between the thalamus and subthalamic region above the pyramidal decussation below.

From Degeneracy Its Causes, Signs and Results by Eugene S. Talbot

Their brains are fused together by a neural bridge that connects them at their respective thalami.

From Slate ● Apr. 30, 2018

The two thalami touch in the center in most brains as the massa intermedia, which is surrounded by the third ventricle.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013

The thalami are two elongated, ovoid structures on either side of the midline that make contact in the middle.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013

Immediately in front of the corpora quadrigemina, the white fibres of the posterior commissure pass across between the two optic thalami.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Slice 4 "Bradford, William" to "Brequigny, Louis" by Various

In the floor of the thalamencephalon are two masses of ganglionic tissue, the optic thalami.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Slice 4 "Bradford, William" to "Brequigny, Louis" by Various

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