Neuroanatomical, Neurophysiological and

Neuropsychological Terminology
This table lists the original Greek and Latin meanings of neuroscience
words. Many of the words are neuroanatomical terms, but neurological
symptoms and disorders are also included.

WORD MEANING WORD MEANING

abducens.....drawing away bouton.....button
ablation.....carrying away brachium.....arm
acetylcholine.....vinegar bile bregma.....front of the head
adrenalin.....near the kidney calcarine.....spur-shaped
afferent.....to carry callosum.....hard, tough
alar.....wing-like cannula.....reed
alveus.....canal carotid.....to put to sleep
amacrine.....long fiber cataplexy.....down stroke, seizure
ambidextrous.....both right catatonia.....down tone
ambiguus.....doubtful cauda.....tail
amblyopia.....dull vision cauda equina.....horse tail
amnesia.....forgetfulness caudate.....tail
ampulla.....small bottle causalgia.....burning pain
amygdala.....almond cenereum.....ash gray
aphasia.....no speech cephalic.....head
aqueduct.....water canal cerebellum.....little brain
analgesia.....no pain cerebrum.....brain
aneurysm.....widening ceruleus.....blue
anesthesia.....no sensation cerumen.....wax
ansa.....urn handle cervical.....neck
antitoxin.....against poison chiasm.....a crossing
aphagia.....no eat chorea.....to dance
aphasia.....no speech choroid.....like a membrane
aqueduct.....water canal cingulum.....girdle or belt
arachnoid.....spider web-like circadian.....about a day
arbor vitae.....tree of life cistern.....reservior or well
arcuate n......bow shaped claustrum.....barrier
astrocyte.....star-like cell coccyx.....cuckoo
ataxia.....not orderly cochlea.....snail shell
aura.....breath, breeze colliculus.....little hill
auricle.....a little ear conus.....cone or peg
autonomic.....self law coma.....deep sleep
axon.....axis, axle commissure.....joining together
basilar.....base

1
WORD MEANING
convulsion.....pulling together
corona.....crown
corpus.....body
cortex.....bark, shell
cribiform.....sieve-like
cruciate.....cross-shaped
culmen.....ridge, summit
cuneate.....wedge
cupula.....little tub
decussation.....crossing
dendrite.....tree
dentate.....notched
dura.....hard
dyskinesia.....improper motion
edema.....swelling
efferent....carry out (away)
emboliform.....plug-like
encephalitis.....brain inflammation
encephalogram.....brain writing
epilepsy.....seizure
ethmoid.....sieve-like
falx.....sickle
fasciculus.....little bundle
filum.....thread
fimbria.....fringe
fissure.....cleft or slit
flocculus.....tuft of wool
folium.....leaf
foramen.....opening
fornix.....arch
fossa.....trench, channel
fovea.....pit, depression
fundus.....bottom
funiculus.....little cord
fusiform.....spindle-shaped
ganglion.....knot, swelling
genu.....knee
geniculate.....bent like a knee
glabrous.....bald
gland.....acorn
2
WORD MEANING
glia.....glue
globus pallidus.....pale ball
gracile.....slender
gyrus.....ring, circle
habenula.....rein
halluncination.....to wander in the mind
hippocampus.....sea horse
hypnosis.....sleep
hypoglossal.....under the tongue
hypophysis.....down growth
hypothalamus....under thalamus
incus.....anvil
infundibulum.....funnel
insula.....island
iris.....rainbow
lamina.....layer, thin plate
lemniscus.....woolen band or filet
lens.....lentil
lenticular.....shaped like a lens
limbic.....border, hem, fringe
lingula.....little tongue
lumbar.....pertaining to the loins
macula.....spot
malleus.....hammer
mater (dura).....mother
medulla.....innermost, marrow
melanin.....black
meninges.....membrane
meningitis.....membrane inflammation
microglia.....small glue
myelin.....marrow
myopia.....to shut eye
narcolepsy.....numbness seizure
narcotic.....benumbing, deadening
neuron.....nerve
node.....knot
nucleus.....nut
obex.....barrier
oblongata.....rather long
oculomotor.....eye movement
WORD MEANING WORD MEANING
oligodendrocyte.....few tree cell serotonin.....blood stretching
operculus.....cover, lid septum.....wall, partition
optic.....for sight sinus.....a hollow
oscilloscope.....to examine swinging soma.....body
pallidus.....pale somnambulism.....sleep walk
paralysis.....to loosen somniloquism.....sleep speak (talk)
paranoia.....mind beside itself spine.....thorn
patella.....little plate splenium.....bandage
peduncle.....stemlike stapes.....stirrup
pellucidum.....translucent stellate.....star
pia.....soft stimulate.....to goad
pineal.....pine cone striated.....striped
piriform.....pear-shaped substantia nigra.....black substance
pituitary.....slime, mucous sulcus.....groove, trench, furrow
placebo.....to please synapse.....connection
plexus.....a braid tapetum.....carpet
pons.....bridge tectum.....roof
potential.....power tegmentum.....covering
pterygoid.....wing-shaped tentorium.....tent
pulp.....flesh thalamus.....inner chamber
pulvinar.....cushion, pillow, couch thoracic.....chest
pupil.....doll, little girl trabecula.....little beam
putamen.....shell tremor....to shake
pyramis.....pyramid trigeminal.....three twins
pyriform.....pear-shaped trochlear.....pulley
quadrigemina.....four twins tubercle.....swelling
rabies.....to rage uncus.....hook
ramus.....branch vagus.....wandering
raphe.....seam ventricle.....small cavity
rectus.....straight vermis.....worm
restiform.....rope-like vertex.....top, summit
reticular.....net-like vesicle.....blister, bladder
rhodopsin.....rose eye vitreous.....glassy
rostral.....beak
rubro.....red
sacral.....sacred, holy
sagittal.....arrow
schizophrenia.....split mind
sclera.....hard
sella turcica.....Turkish saddle
semilunar.....half moon