brain stem

brain·stem

or brain stem  (brān′stĕm′)

n.

The portion of the brain, consisting of the medulla oblongata, pons Varolii, and midbrain, that connects the spinal cord to the forebrain and cerebrum.

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 stem

A stalklike part of the brain, between the cerebrum and spinal cord. It contains the midbrain, pons, and medulla oblongata.

Dictionary of Unfamiliar Words by Diagram Group Copyright © 2008 by Diagram Visual Information Limited

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

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 brainstem, brain-stem neural structure - a structure that is part of the nervous system 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 medulla oblongata, medulla, bulb - lower or hindmost part of the brain; continuous with spinal cord; (`bulb' is an old term for medulla oblongata); "the medulla oblongata is the most vital part of the brain because it contains centers controlling breathing and heart functioning" pons Varolii, pons - a band of nerve fibers linking the medulla oblongata and the cerebellum with the midbrain reticular formation, RF - a complex neural network in the central core of the brainstem; monitors the state of the body and functions in such processes as arousal and sleep and attention and muscle tone

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