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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

hippocampus en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • /ˌhɪpə(ʊ)ˈkæm.pəs/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • [ˌhɪpoʊˈkɛəm.pəs] (Canada, General-American) /æ/ raising
  • /ˌhɪpoʊˈkæm.pəs/ (Canada, General-American)
  • [ˌhɪpəˈkɛəm.pəs] (Canada, General-American) /æ/ raising
  • /ˌhɪpəˈkæm.pəs/ (Canada, General-American)
  • audio Wisconsin

Etymology

From Late Latin hippocampus, from Ancient Greek ἱππόκαμπος (hippókampos, from ῐ̔́ππος (hĭ́ppos, “horse”) + κάμπος (kámpos, “sea-monster”)). The anatomy sense is so named from its resemblance to the seahorse. By surface analysis, hippo- + campus.

Meanings

  1. A mythological creature with the front head and forelimbs of a horse and the rear of a fish.
  2. A part of the brain located inside the temporal lobe, consisting mainly of grey matter. It is a component of the limbic system and plays a role in memory and emotion.
    • Holonyms: limbic system < brain < central nervous system, CNS
    • The hippocampus is central to the laying down of memories. 2019, Bill Bryson, The Body: A Guide for Occupants, Black Swan (2020), page 63:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
hippocampuses Number=Plur lexicographic
hippocampi Number=Plur lexicographic

Deriveds

hippocampal · hippocampocortical · parahippocampus · hippocampic · hippocampectomy

Synonyms

HIPP · sea horse · hippocamp

Translations (41)

fr hippocampe (brain region) · cs hipokampus (brain region) · nl hippocampus (brain region) · pt hipocampo (mythological creature) · uk гіпока́мп (brain region) · ka ჰიპოკამპუსი (brain region) · cmn 海馬體 /海马体 (brain region) · uk гіпока́мп (mythological creature) · el ιππόκαμπος (brain region) · fi hippokampus (brain region) · de Hippokamp (mythological creature) · tr hipokampus (brain region) · id hipokampus (brain region) · nl hippocampus (mythological creature) · kk гиппокамп (brain region) · ja 海馬 (brain region) · grc ἱππόκαμπος (mythological creature) · ru гиппока́мп (mythological creature) · ro hipocamp (brain region) · it ippocampo (mythological creature) · de Ammonshorn (brain region) · ro hipocamp (mythological creature) · de Hippocampus (brain region) · fr hippocampe (mythological creature) · fi hippokamppi (mythological creature) · vi hồi hải mã (brain region) · el ιππόκαμπος (mythological creature) · pl hipokamp (brain region) · ka ჰიპოკამპუსი (mythological creature) · sl hipokampus (brain region) · cmn 海馬 /海马 (mythological creature) · it ippocampo (brain region) · es hipocampo (brain region) · fi aivoturso (brain region) · cmn 海馬 /海马 (brain region) · ca hipocamp (brain region) · eo hipokampo (brain region) · nl hippokampos (mythological creature) · pt hipocampo (brain region) · es hipocampo (mythological creature) · pl hippokamp (mythological creature)

wikidata: Q48360 · wikidata: Q816795