white matter

noun

: neural tissue especially of the brain and spinal cord that consists largely of myelinated nerve fibers bundled into tracts, has a whitish color, and typically underlies the cortical gray matter

Examples of white matter in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Players more likely to head the ball showed abnormalities in the white matter adjacent to the sulci – the grooves in the outer layer of the brain, essential for maximizing the cortical surface area and to separate functional brain regions. —New Atlas, 29 Nov. 2024

Soccer players who headed the ball at high levels showed abnormality of the brain's white matter adjacent to sulci, which are deep grooves in the brain's surface. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 29 Nov. 2024

Some of the changes, including the reduction in gray matter, remained two years postpartum, while others, such as the white matter increase, were temporary. —Melissa Willets, Parents, 25 Sep. 2024

More white matter means stronger, better-functioning connections. —Sarah Jividen, Verywell Health, 3 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1674, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

white matter

noun

: whitish nerve tissue especially of the brain and spinal cord that consists largely of nerve fibers enclosed in a fatty material and that lies under the gray matter

Medical Definition

white matter

noun

: neural tissue especially of the brain and spinal cord that consists largely of myelinated nerve fibers bundled into tracts, has a whitish color, and typically underlies the gray matter