fusiform

adjective

fu·​si·​form ˈfyü-zə-ˌfȯrm How to pronounce fusiform (audio)
: tapering toward each end
fusiform bacteria

Examples of fusiform in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
When participants thought about nature, their brains showed activity in areas related to visual processing and spatial awareness, such as the fusiform and parahippocampal gyri. Mark Travers, Forbes, 11 Sep. 2024 In the nineties, neural imaging revealed that parts of the fusiform gyrus—a brain region near the base of the skull which is associated with vision—are more active when people see faces. Shayla Love, The New Yorker, 1 Aug. 2024 Looking at the face of someone of the same race activates a specialized part of the primate brain called the fusiform cortex, which recognizes faces, but it is activated less so when the face in question is that of someone of another race. Robert Sapolsky, Foreign Affairs, 12 Feb. 2019 Morris knew from her training that such distortions could be triggered by a specific area of the brain called the fusiform gyrus, which is responsible for face perception, object recognition and reading. Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 22 Mar. 2024 The researchers found that kids who were victims of bullying had a thicker cortex in the fusiform gyrus compared to kids who didn’t have any bullying problems. Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 5 Sep. 2023

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin fūsifōrmis, from Latin fūsus "spindle" (of obscure origin) + -i- -i- + -fōrmis -form

First Known Use

1746, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fusiform was in 1746

Dictionary Entries Near fusiform

Cite this Entry

“Fusiform.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fusiform. Accessed 15 Dec. 2024.

Medical Definition

fusiform

adjective
fu·​si·​form ˈfyü-zə-ˌfȯrm How to pronounce fusiform (audio)
: tapering toward each end
fusiform bacteria
a fusiform aneurysm
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!