brain

the human brain and its contiguous structures

A. pituitary gland

B. cerebrum

C. skull

D. corpus callosum

E. thalamus

F. hypothalamus

G. pons

H. cerebellum

I. medulla

J. spinal cord

brain

(brān)

a. The portion of the vertebrate central nervous system that is enclosed within the cranium, continuous with the spinal cord, and composed of gray matter and white matter. It is the primary center for the regulation and control of bodily activities, receiving and interpreting sensory impulses, and transmitting information to the muscles and body organs. It is also the seat of consciousness, thought, memory, and emotion.

b. A functionally similar portion of the invertebrate nervous system.

a. Intellectual ability; intellect: an actor not known for his quick brain.

b. often brains Exceptional intellectual ability; intelligence: has brains and good looks.

c. Informal A highly intelligent person: We knew the new kid was a brain as soon as she started talking.

3. often brains The primary director or planner, as of an organization or movement.

4. The control center, as of a ship, aircraft, or spacecraft.

tr.v. brained, brain·ing, brains

To hit on the head or kill by hitting on the head.

Idioms:

beat (one's) brains (out)

Informal To exert or expend great mental effort: She beat her brains out during the examination.

on the brain

Obsessively in mind: The coach has winning on the brain.

pick (someone's) brain/brains

To explore another's ideas through questioning.

rack (one's) brain Informal

To think long and hard: I racked my brain for hours trying to recall her name.

[Middle English, from Old English brægen.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

brain

(breɪn)

1. (Anatomy) the soft convoluted mass of nervous tissue within the skull of vertebrates that is the controlling and coordinating centre of the nervous system and the seat of thought, memory, and emotion. It includes the cerebrum, brainstem, and cerebellum. Technical name: encephalon

2. (Zoology) the main neural bundle or ganglion of certain invertebrates

3. (often plural) informal intellectual ability: he's got brains.

4. informal shrewdness or cunning

5. informal an intellectual or intelligent person

6. (usually plural; functioning as singular) informal a person who plans and organizes an undertaking or is in overall control of an organization, etc

7. an electronic device, such as a computer, that performs apparently similar functions to the human brain

8. on the brain constantly in mind: I had that song on the brain.

9. pick someone's brain to obtain information or ideas from someone

vb (tr)

10. to smash the skull of

11. slang to hit hard on the head

[Old English brægen; related to Old Frisian brein, Middle Low German bregen, Greek brekhmos forehead]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

brain

(breɪn)
n.

1. the anterior part of the central nervous system enclosed in the cranium of vertebrates, consisting of a mass of nerve tissue organized for the perception of sensory impulses, the regulation of motor impulses, and the production of memory, learning, and consciousness.

2. (in many invertebrates) a part of the nervous system comparable to the brain of vertebrates.

3. Sometimes, brains. understanding; intellectual power; intelligence.

4. the brain as the center of thought, understanding, etc.; mind; intellect.

5. brains, Slang. a member of a group who is regarded as its intellectual leader or planner.

6. Informal. an extremely intelligent person.

a. the controlling or guiding mechanism in a computer, robot, pacemaker, etc.

b. the part of a computer system for coordination or guidance, as of a missile.

v.t.

8. to smash the skull of.

9. Slang. to hit or bang on the head.

Idioms:

have on the brain, to think about constantly.

[before 1000; Middle English; Old English bræg(e)n, bregen; c. Middle Low German bragen, Middle Dutch brein]

syn: See mind.

brain

brain

(brān)

1. The part of the nervous system in vertebrates that is enclosed within the skull, is connected with the spinal cord, and is composed of gray matter and white matter. It receives and interprets impulses from sense organs, and it coordinates and controls body functions and activities, such as walking and talking. The brain is also the center of memory, thought, and feeling.

2. A bundle of nerves in many invertebrate animals that is similar to the vertebrate brain in function and position.

Did You Know? At this very moment, these words are being scanned and interpreted by perhaps the most complex object in the world: the human brain. The bulbous organ that sits right behind your forehead is a collection of different parts that work together. For example, the two sides of the brain, called hemispheres, perform different tasks. The right hemisphere is responsible for musical and artistic ability and the ability to recognize faces. The left is where mathematical and logical analysis takes place, as well as most speech and language processing. Furthermore, each hemisphere is divided into four separate regions called lobes, which have their own jobs. Here's how specific the responsibilities of a particular brain area can be: in 2001 researchers discovered that there's a definite part of the brain (the medial ventral prefrontal cortex) where you make the connection that we call "getting" a joke. Got it?

The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Brain

brain

Past participle: brained
Gerund: braining

Imperative
brain
brain

Present
I brain
you brain
he/she/it brains
we brain
you brain
they brain

Preterite
I brained
you brained
he/she/it brained
we brained
you brained
they brained

Present Continuous
I am braining
you are braining
he/she/it is braining
we are braining
you are braining
they are braining

Present Perfect
I have brained
you have brained
he/she/it has brained
we have brained
you have brained
they have brained

Past Continuous
I was braining
you were braining
he/she/it was braining
we were braining
you were braining
they were braining

Past Perfect
I had brained
you had brained
he/she/it had brained
we had brained
you had brained
they had brained

Future
I will brain
you will brain
he/she/it will brain
we will brain
you will brain
they will brain

Future Perfect
I will have brained
you will have brained
he/she/it will have brained
we will have brained
you will have brained
they will have brained

Future Continuous
I will be braining
you will be braining
he/she/it will be braining
we will be braining
you will be braining
they will be braining

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been braining
you have been braining
he/she/it has been braining
we have been braining
you have been braining
they have been braining

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been braining
you will have been braining
he/she/it will have been braining
we will have been braining
you will have been braining
they will have been braining

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been braining
you had been braining
he/she/it had been braining
we had been braining
you had been braining
they had been braining

Conditional
I would brain
you would brain
he/she/it would brain
we would brain
you would brain
they would brain

Past Conditional
I would have brained
you would have brained
he/she/it would have brained
we would have brained
you would have brained
they would have brained

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

brain

The body’s chief control center, containing billions of interconnected nerve cells.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun	1.	brain - that part of the central nervous system that includes all the higher nervous centers; enclosed within the skull; continuous with the spinal cord encephalon circle of Willis - a ring of arteries at the base of the brain arteria communicans, communicating artery - any of three arteries in the brain that make up the circle of Willis neural structure - a structure that is part of the nervous system brain cell - a nerve cell in the brain central nervous system, CNS, systema nervosum centrale - the portion of the vertebrate nervous system consisting of the brain and spinal cord neencephalon, neoencephalon - the part of the brain having the most recent phylogenetic origin; the cerebral cortex and related parts forebrain, prosencephalon - the anterior portion of the brain; the part of the brain that develops from the anterior part of the neural tube mesencephalon, midbrain - the middle portion of the brain hindbrain, rhombencephalon - the posterior portion of the brain including cerebellum and brainstem brain stem, brainstem, brain-stem - the part of the brain continuous with the spinal cord and comprising the medulla oblongata and pons and midbrain and parts of the hypothalamus ventricle - one of four connected cavities in the brain; is continuous with the central canal of the spinal cord and contains cerebrospinal fluid head, caput - the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains; "he stuck his head out the window"
	2.	brain - mental ability; "he's got plenty of brains but no common sense" brainpower, learning ability, mental capacity, mentality, wit intelligence - the ability to comprehend; to understand and profit from experience
	3.	brain - that which is responsible for one's thoughts and feelings; the seat of the faculty of reason; "his mind wandered"; "I couldn't get his words out of my head" mind, psyche, nous, head cognition, knowledge, noesis - the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning noddle - an informal British expression for head or mind; "use your noddle" tabula rasa - a young mind not yet affected by experience (according to John Locke) ego - (psychoanalysis) the conscious mind unconscious, unconscious mind - that part of the mind wherein psychic activity takes place of which the person is unaware subconscious, subconscious mind - psychic activity just below the level of awareness
	4.	brain - someone who has exceptional intellectual ability and originality; "Mozart was a child genius"; "he's smart but he's no Einstein" brainiac, genius, mastermind, Einstein intellectual, intellect - a person who uses the mind creatively prodigy - an unusually gifted or intelligent (young) person; someone whose talents excite wonder and admiration; "she is a chess prodigy"
	5.	brain - the brain of certain animals used as meat organs, variety meat - edible viscera of a butchered animal calf's brain - the brain of a calf eaten as meat
Verb	1.	brain - hit on the head hit - deal a blow to, either with the hand or with an instrument; "He hit her hard in the face"
	2.	brain - kill by smashing someone's skull kill - cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly; "This man killed several people when he tried to rob a bank"; "The farmer killed a pig for the holidays"

brain

noun

1. cerebrum, mind, grey matter (informal) The eye grows independently of the brain.

2. (Informal) intellectual, genius, scholar, sage, pundit, thinker, mastermind, intellect, prodigy, highbrow, rocket scientist (informal, chiefly U.S.), egghead (informal), brainbox, clever clogs, bluestocking (usually disparaging) I've never been much of a brain myself.

plural noun

1. intelligence, mind, reason, understanding, sense, capacity, smarts (slang, chiefly U.S.), wit, common sense, intellect, savvy (slang), nous (Brit. slang), suss (slang), shrewdness, sagacity They were not the only ones to have brains and ambition.

verb

1. (Informal) hit, strike, smash, belt (informal), sock (slang), clout (informal), slug, swipe (informal), wallop (informal) He had threatened to brain him then and there.

Related words
technical name encephalon
adjectives encephalic, cerebral

Quotations
"I was taught that the human brain was the crowning glory of evolution so far, but I think it's a very poor scheme for survival" [Kurt Vonnegut]

Parts of the brain

amygdala, brainstem, Broca's area, central sulcus, cerebellum, cerebral aqueduct, cerebral cortex or (nontechnical) grey matter, cerebrospinal fluid, cerebrum, choroid plexus, corpus callosum, diencephalon, fourth ventricle, frontal lobe, hippocampus, hypothalamus, infundibulum, limbic system, mamillary body, medulla oblongata, meninges, midbrain, myelencephalon or (nontechnical) afterbrain, occipital lobe, optic chiasma, parietal lobe, pineal body, pituitary gland, pons Varolli, substantia alba or (nontechnical) white matter, temporal lobe, thalamus, third ventricle, vermis, Wernicke's area

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

brain

noun

1. The seat of the faculty of intelligence and reason:

head, mind.

Informal: gray matter.

2. The faculty of thinking, reasoning, and acquiring and applying knowledge.Often used in plural:

brainpower, intellect, intelligence, mentality, mind, sense, understanding, wit.

Slang: smart (used in plural).

3. A person of great mental ability:

intellect, intellectual, mind, thinker.

Translations

دِمَاغدماغ، مُخذكاء، مقدرة عقليهشخص ذكي

мозък

mozekmozkovýinteligenceinteligent

hjerneforstandgodt hoved

Gehirn Kopf KöpfchenSuperhirnVerstand

εγκέφαλος μυαλό νοημοσύνη

cerebro seso

aju

aivotälyälykköälykkyysjärki

cerveau cervelle intelligence jugeote

mozak

agyakinek jó feje van

otak

heiligáfumaîurgáfur

cervello meningi rompere la testa

脳

뇌

cerebrum

begalvisgalvagalvotasgalvotas žmogusgera mintis

garīgās spējasgudra galvagudrs cilvēksprātssaprāts

hersenen hersens intellect verstand brein

hjerne skarping vett et godt hode forstand

mózg

cérebro intelecto

creierintelect

мозг голова

mozog

možganipamet

мозак

hjärnaförstånd

ubongo

สมอง

beyinkafalı adamzekâzeki kimseakıl

nãoóctrí óc

头脑智力智囊脑

brain

[breɪn]

A. N

1. (Anat) → cerebro m
he's got politics on the brain → tiene la política metida en la cabeza
to get one's brain into gear → poner la mente a carburar

2. brains

2.1. (Anat, Culin) → sesos mpl
to beat sb's brains out → romper la crisma a algn
to blow one's brains out → volarse or levantarse la tapa de los sesos

2.2. (= intelligence) → inteligencia fsing, cabeza fsing
he's got brains → es muy listo, tiene mucha cabeza
he's the brains of the family → es el listo de la familia
see also pick B5
see also rack ¹ B1

B. VT → romper la crisma a

C. CPD brain damage N → lesión f cerebral or medular
brain death N → muerte f clínica or cerebral
brain drain N → fuga f de cerebros
brain scan N → exploración f cerebral mediante escáner
brain scanner N → escáner m cerebral
brains trust, brain trust (US) N → grupo m de peritos (TV etc) → jurado m de expertos
brain teaser N → rompecabezas m inv
brain tumour, brain tumor (US) N → tumor m cerebral

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

brain

[ˈbreɪn]

→ cerveau m
to have sth on the brain → être obsédé(e) par qch brains

npl

(= intelligence) → intelligence f
He's got brains
BUT Il est intelligent.
to be the brains of sth → être le cerveau de qch
He's the brains of the organization → C'est le cerveau de l'organisation.
to be the brains behind sth → être le cerveau de qch
to pick sb's brains → faire appel aux lumières de qn
I'd like to pick your brains about something
BUT J'ai besoin de tes lumières sur quelque chose.
to rack one's brains (= think hard) → se creuser la cervelle

(ANATOMY) to beat sb's brains out, to bash sb's brains out → estourbir qn
to blow sb's brains out → faire sauter la cervelle de qnbrain cell n (ANATOMY) → cellule f cérébrale

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

brain

(Anat, of machine) → Gehirn nt; he’s got sex/cars on the brain (inf) → er hat nur Sex/Autos im Kopf; I’ve got that tune on the brain (inf) → das Lied geht or will mir nicht aus dem Kopf

brains pl (Anat) → Gehirn nt; (Cook) → Hirn nt

(= mind) → Verstand m; brains pl (= intelligence) → Intelligenz f, → Grips m (inf), → Köpfchen nt (inf); to have a good brain → einen klaren or guten Verstand haben; he has brains → er ist intelligent, er hat Grips (inf) → or Köpfchen (inf); she’s the brains of the family → sie ist das Familiengenie (hum), → sie ist die Schlauste in der Familie; you’re the one with the brains → du bist doch der Schlaue or Intelligente hier; use your brains → streng mal deinen Kopf or Grips (inf) → an; he didn’t have the brains to … → er ist nicht einmal daraufgekommen, zu …

vt → den Schädel einschlagen (sb jdm)

brain

brain activity

n → (Ge)hirntätigkeit f

brainbox

n (hum inf) → Schlauberger m (inf)

brainchild

n → Erfindung f; (= idea) → Geistesprodukt nt

brain damage

n → (Ge)hirnschaden m

brain-damaged

adj (lit) → hirngeschädigt; (fig inf) → (ge)hirnamputiert (hum inf)

braindead

adj (lit) → (ge)hirntot; (fig inf) → gehirnamputiert; (inf)

brain death

n → (Ge)hirntod m

brain drain

n → Abwanderung f → von Wissenschaftlern, Braindrain m

brainfag

n → geistige Erschöpfung

brain failure

n (inf) → Aussetzer m (inf)

brain fart

n (inf) → Gedankenfurz m

brain fever

n → Hirnhautentzündung f

brain fog

n (inf) → Gehirnnebel m (inf), eingeschränkte geistige Leistungsfähigkeit

brain gain

n → Brain Gain m or nt, Gewinn ausländischer Spitzenforscher und -manager

brain haemorrhage, brain hemorrhage (US)

n → (Ge)hirnblutung f

brainless

adj plan, idea → hirnlos, dumm; person also → unbedarft

brainpower

n → Intelligenz f

brain scan

n → Computertomografie f → des Schädels

brain scanner

n → Computertomograf m (zur Untersuchung des Gehirns)

brainstorm

(Brit) to have a brain → geistig weggetreten sein (inf)

(US: = brainwave) → Geistesblitz m

vi → ein Brainstorming machen

vt → gemeinsam erarbeiten

brainstorming

n → gemeinsame Problembewältigung, Brainstorming nt; to have a brain session → ein Brainstorming veranstalten or abhalten

brain

brain surgeon

n → Neurochirurg(in) m(f), → Hirnchirurg(in) m(f)

brain-teaser

n → Denksportaufgabe f

brain trust

n (US) → Braintrust m, → Expertenausschuss m

brain tumour, (US) brain tumor

n → Gehirntumor m

brainwash

vt → einer Gehirnwäsche (dat) → unterziehen; to brain somebody into believing/accepting etc that … → jdm (ständig) einreden, dass …

brainwashing

n → Gehirnwäsche f

brainwave

(Brit) → Geistesblitz m

brainwaves pl (Physiol) → Gehirnströme pl

brainwork

n → Kopfarbeit f

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

brain

[breɪn]

1. n

a. (Anat) → cervello (Culin) brains npl → cervella sg
to blow one's brains out → farsi saltare le cervella
he's got cars on the brain → ha il chiodo fisso delle macchine

b. (fig) (fam) (intelligence) brains npl → testa
he's got brains → ha (del) cervello, è intelligente
he's the brains of the family → è il cervellone di casa

2. vt (fam) → spaccare la testa a

brain

(brein) noun

1. the centre of the nervous system. an injury to the brain; (also adjective) brain surgery; brain damage.

2. (often in plural) cleverness. a good brain; You've plenty of brains.

3. a clever person. He's one of the best brains in the country.

ˈbrainless adjective

stupid. a brainless idiot.

ˈbrainy adjective

clever. She's a brainy child.

ˈbrainchild noun

a favourite theory, invention etc thought up by a particular person. This entire process is Dr Smith's brainchild.

brain drain

the loss of experts to another country (usually in search of better salaries etc). As a result of the brain drain Britain does not have enough doctors.

ˈbrainwash verb

to force (a person) to confess etc by putting great (psychological) pressure on him. The terrorists brainwashed him into believing in their ideals.

ˈbrainwashing noun

ˈbrainwave noun

a sudden bright idea.

brain

→ دِمَاغ mozek hjerne Gehirn εγκέφαλος cerebro aivot cerveau mozak cervello 脳 뇌 hersenen hjerne mózg cérebro мозг hjärna สมอง beyin não 头脑

brain

n. cerebro, parte del sistema nervioso central que se localiza en el cráneo y actúa como regulador principal de las funciones del cuerpo;

blood ___ barrier → barrera hematoencefálica;

___ abscess → absceso cerebral;

___ center → centro cerebral;

___ death → muerte cerebral;

___ edema → edema cerebral;

___ injuries → traumatismo cerebral;

___ or cerebral concussion → concusión o conmoción cerebral;

___ puncture → punción cerebral;

___ scan → escáner del ___;

___ tumor → tumor cerebral.

brain

n cerebro; brain-dead con muerte f cerebral, que tiene muerte cerebral; — death muerte f cerebral