neocortex
noun
neo·cor·tex ˌnē-ō-ˈkȯr-ˌteks 
: the large 6-layered dorsal region of the cerebral cortex that is unique to mammals
broadly : the mammalian cerebral cortex
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web In humans, the telencephalon is the largest division of the brain and contains a region called the neocortex, which plays a key role in animal behavior and cognition. 
Ashley Maynard, The Conversation, 1 Sep. 2022 Throughout recent evolution, the neocortex has massively grown in size compared with other brain regions. Ashley Maynard, The Conversation, 1 Sep. 2022 One was whether intelligence correlated with specific brain regions—specifically an area called the pallium in birds, which appears to handle many of the same functions as the neocortex in humans. John Timmer, Ars Technica, 12 July 2022 Mammals sleep when the neocortex — a part of the brain that processes sensory, motor, language, emotional and associative information — shuts down. Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 8 July 2022 For us, the key brain regions are in the neocortex, particularly part of the parietal lobes of the humans—also the parietal lobes of the monkeys. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 3 June 2022 The neocortex, a part of the brain that is essential for strong social skills, is much larger in humans than other primates, which many researchers believe is a natural response to our society’s social complexity. Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 22 Feb. 2022 Rhythm dances with our neocortex to make way for a breath of relaxation. Alex Wagner, SPIN, 1 Feb. 2022 The company uses a technique called semantic folding—which is based on a theory about how part of the brain, the neocortex, represents information. Jonathan Vanian, Fortune, 25 Jan. 2022 See More
Ashley Maynard, The Conversation, 1 Sep. 2022 Throughout recent evolution, the neocortex has massively grown in size compared with other brain regions. Ashley Maynard, The Conversation, 1 Sep. 2022 One was whether intelligence correlated with specific brain regions—specifically an area called the pallium in birds, which appears to handle many of the same functions as the neocortex in humans. John Timmer, Ars Technica, 12 July 2022 Mammals sleep when the neocortex — a part of the brain that processes sensory, motor, language, emotional and associative information — shuts down. Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 8 July 2022 For us, the key brain regions are in the neocortex, particularly part of the parietal lobes of the humans—also the parietal lobes of the monkeys. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 3 June 2022 The neocortex, a part of the brain that is essential for strong social skills, is much larger in humans than other primates, which many researchers believe is a natural response to our society’s social complexity. Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 22 Feb. 2022 Rhythm dances with our neocortex to make way for a breath of relaxation. Alex Wagner, SPIN, 1 Feb. 2022 The company uses a technique called semantic folding—which is based on a theory about how part of the brain, the neocortex, represents information. Jonathan Vanian, Fortune, 25 Jan. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
borrowed from German Neocortex, from neo- neo- + Cortex cortex; from its being the cortex of the phylogenetically most recently developed part of the brain
First Known Use
1909, in the meaning defined above
Medical Definition
neocortex
noun
neo·cor·tex ˌnē-ō-ˈkȯr-ˌteks
plural neocortices -ˈkȯrt-ə-ˌsēz or neocortexes
or neocortexes : the large 6-layered dorsal region of the cerebral cortex that is unique to mammals
broadly : the mammalian cerebral cortex