locus coeruleus

noun

A small nucleus, located bilaterally in the pons, which contains norepinephrine and has projections to most of the brain.

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Meanings

noun

alternative locus caeruleus · alternative locus ceruleus

  1. medicineA small nucleus, located bilaterally in the pons, which contains norepinephrine and has projections to most of the brain.

    Noradrenaline builds up carbon dioxide in yer blood, which activates your Locus Coeruleus, which essentially keeps you awake...

    2023, Andrew MacDonald, “Twistwood Tales”, in Instagram

Origin

Latin for "blue place", using a Medieval Latin spelling of Classical Latin caeruleus (“blue”). See also Wikipedia for more details.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

locus coeruleus. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/locus%20coeruleus

MLA

“locus coeruleus.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/locus%20coeruleus. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “locus coeruleus,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/locus%20coeruleus.

Source: locus coeruleus on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.