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brain stem
noun
: the part of the brain composed of the midbrain, pons, and medulla oblongata and connecting the spinal cord with the forebrain and cerebrum
Examples of brain stem in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Two men have been charged with murder in the drive-by shooting of an 18-year-old who was struck in the brain stem and died seven hours later, court records show.
—Jakob Rodgers, The Mercury News, 17 Oct. 2024
This sudden pain may result from irritation to the glossopharyngeal nerve (one of the four cranial nerves), which runs from the brain stem through the tonsils and along your ears.
—Sarah Hudgens, Health, 5 Oct. 2024
This means an impulse originating from the left side of the brain crosses over to the right side of the brain stem.
—Bryant Stamford, The Courier-Journal, 2 May 2024
Determining causality is a heavy lift, but no one with a functioning brain stem believes that more people watched the 2000 season because Miller was better at calling football than John Earl Madden.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 10 Sep. 2024
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Word History
First Known Use
1874, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near brain stem
Cite this Entry
“Brain stem.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brain%20stem. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
brain stem
noun
: the back and lower part of the brain including the midbrain and medulla oblongata
Medical Definition
brain stem
noun
: the part of the brain composed of the midbrain, pons, and medulla oblongata and connecting the spinal cord with the forebrain and cerebrum
More from Merriam-Webster on brain stem
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about brain stem
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