MESENCEPHALON

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does mesencephalon mean? 

• MESENCEPHALON (noun)
  The noun MESENCEPHALON has 1 sense:

1. the middle portion of the brain

  Familiarity information: MESENCEPHALON used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• MESENCEPHALON (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The middle portion of the brain

Classified under:

Nouns denoting body parts

Synonyms:

mesencephalon; midbrain

Hypernyms ("mesencephalon" is a kind of...):

neural structure (a structure that is part of the nervous system)

Meronyms (parts of "mesencephalon"):

locus niger; nucleus niger; substantia nigra (a layer of deeply pigmented grey matter in the midbrain; associated with the striate body; is involved in metabolic disturbances associated with Parkinson's disease and with Huntington's disease)

superior colliculus (an essential visual center between the retina and the striate cortex)

inferior colliculus (an essential auditory center in the midbrain)

Holonyms ("mesencephalon" is a part of...):

brain; encephalon (that part of the central nervous system that includes all the higher nervous centers; enclosed within the skull; continuous with the spinal cord)

 Context examples 

It consists of the mesencephalon, pons, and medulla oblongata.

(Brain stem, NCI Thesaurus)