thalamus

T1H4A1L1A1M3U1S1
/ˈθæləməs/

noun

Either of two large, ovoid structures of grey matter within the forebrain that relay sensory impulses to the cerebral cortex.

Similar
thalamencephalon
OriginLatin thalamus ← Ancient Greek θᾰ́λᾰμος (thắlămos) →
UncommonScrabble 13
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Meanings

nounthalamus (plural thalami or thalamuses)

plural thalami · plural thalamuses

  1. anatomyEither of two large, ovoid structures of grey matter within the forebrain that relay sensory impulses to the cerebral cortex.
  2. biologyThe receptacle of a flower; a torus.
  3. A thallus.
  4. An inner room or nuptial chamber.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounlarge egg-shaped structures of grey matter that form the dorsal subdivision of the diencephalon

Similar
thalamencephalon
Broader
neural structure
Also see
receptaclethalamencephalontorus

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekθᾰ́λᾰμος (thắlămos)
  2. Latinthalamus
  3. Englishthalamus

Borrowed from Latin thalamus, from Ancient Greek θάλαμος (thálamos, “an inner chamber, a bedroom, a bed”).

More words from Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic مِهَاد
  • مِهَاد (mihād)anatomy: structure within forebrain
Bengali থ্যালামাস
  • থ্যালামাস (thêlamaś)anatomy: structure within forebrain
Catalan tàlem
  • tàlemanatomy: structure within forebrain
Chinese Cantonese 丘腦 /丘脑
  • 丘腦 /丘脑 (jau¹ nou⁵)anatomy: structure within forebrain
Chinese Mandarin 丘腦 /丘脑
  • 丘腦 /丘脑 (qiūnǎo)anatomy: structure within forebrain
Czech thalamus, talamus
  • thalamusanatomy: structure within forebrain
  • talamusanatomy: structure within forebrain
  • hrbolíanatomy: structure within forebrain
Dutch thalamus
  • thalamusanatomy: structure within forebrain
Esperanto talamo
  • talamoanatomy: structure within forebrain
Finnish talamus
  • talamusanatomy: structure within forebrain
French thalamus
  • thalamusanatomy: structure within forebrain
German Thalamus
  • Thalamusanatomy: structure within forebrain
Greek θάλαμος
  • θάλαμος (thálamos)anatomy: structure within forebrain
Hungarian talamusz, látótelep
  • talamuszanatomy: structure within forebrain
  • látótelepanatomy: structure within forebrain
Irish talamas
  • talamasanatomy: structure within forebrain
Italian talamo
  • talamoanatomy: structure within forebrain
Japanese 視床
  • 視床 (shishō)anatomy: structure within forebrain
Korean 시상
  • 시상 (sisang)anatomy: structure within forebrain
Malay talamus
  • talamusanatomy: structure within forebrain
Persian تالاموس
  • تالاموس (tâlâmus)anatomy: structure within forebrain
Polish wzgórze
  • wzgórzeanatomy: structure within forebrain
Portuguese tálamo
  • tálamoanatomy: structure within forebrain
Russian тала́мус
  • тала́мус (talámus)anatomy: structure within forebrain
Spanish tálamo
  • tálamoanatomy: structure within forebrain
Swedish talamus
  • talamusanatomy: structure within forebrain
Turkish talamus, duyu odası
  • talamusanatomy: structure within forebrain
  • duyu odasıanatomy: structure within forebrain
Ukrainian тала́мус
  • тала́мус (talámus)anatomy: structure within forebrain
Vietnamese đồi não, đồi thị
  • đồi nãoanatomy: structure within forebrain
  • đồi thịanatomy: structure within forebrain
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

“thalamus.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/thalamus. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “thalamus,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/thalamus.

Source: thalamus on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.