Illustration of brain
- 1 cerebral hemisphere
- 2 corpus callosum
- 3 ventricle
- 4 fornix
- 5 thalamus
- 6 pituitary gland
- 7 pons
- 8 medulla oblongata
- 9 spinal cord
- 10 cerebellum
- 11 midbrain
brain
1 of 2noun
ˈbrān 
1
a
: the portion of the vertebrate central nervous system enclosed in the skull and continuous with the spinal cord through the foramen magnum that is composed of neurons and supporting and nutritive structures (such as glia) and that integrates sensory information from inside and outside the body in controlling autonomic function (such as heartbeat and respiration), in coordinating and directing correlated motor responses, and in the process of learning compare forebrain, hindbrain, midbrain
b
: a nervous center in invertebrates comparable in position and function to the vertebrate brain
2
a(1)
: intellect, mind
has a clever brain
(2)
: intellectual endowment : intelligence —often used in plural
plenty of brains in that family
b(1)
: a very intelligent or intellectual person
(2)
: the chief planner within a group —usually used in plural
she's the brains behind their success
3
: something that performs the functions of a brain
especially : an automatic device (such as a computer) for control or computation
brain
2 of 2verb
brained; braining; brains
transitive verb
1
: to kill by smashing the skull
2
: to hit on the head
Synonyms
Noun
- brainiac
- genius
- intellect
- thinker
- whiz
- wiz
- wizard
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Noun Scientists are learning more about how the human brain works. The left and right sides of the brain have different functions. The other children always teased him about being such a brain. Verb The tree limb fell and nearly brained me.
Recent Examples on the Web
Stephen Ornes, Quanta Magazine, 12 Sep. 2022 The problem-solving tasks will vary widely to ensure a workout for all parts of the brain. cleveland, 5 Sep. 2022 Carhart-Harris and his coauthors posited that perhaps the effect was the result of boosting connections between different parts of the brain. WIRED, 2 Sep. 2022 Those people underwent cognitive and mental health testing and received a diffusion MRI of the brain. Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 30 Aug. 2022 In a 2019 review article on memory perspective, St. Jacques noted that shifting your vantage and fabricating an entirely new scene rely on the same mental processes occurring in the same regions of the brain. Jacob Stern, The Atlantic, 29 Aug. 2022 The Infrared Sauna Blanket V4 detoxifies the body, relaxes the mind, boosts your mood, promotes glowing skin, and ignites a healthy DOSE of your brain’s feel-good chemicals (Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin, Endorphins). Olivia O'bryon, Forbes, 25 Aug. 2022 On one occasion, he was hit by a piece of shrapnel and lost a portion of his brain, according to the Post. Stephanie Wenger, Peoplemag, 24 Aug. 2022 But the regions of the brain responsible for self-regulation do not develop any faster or earlier than before. New York Times, 22 Aug. 2022 Alexander Thompson, BostonGlobe.com, 11 Sep. 2022 The man who could brain Mr. Lingk with Rusty’s ashes, or the one who could harm and tie up a helpless old lady, would almost certainly be game for something that nasty. Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 9 Aug. 2022 This can help alleviate back and neck stress and give your eyes and brain a break from the screen. Alexa Mikhail, Fortune, 28 July 2022 They are linked to brain developmental problems in infants and cancer. Katy Stech Ferek, WSJ, 31 Jan. 2022 How will brain stimulation become accessible to all the patients who need it, given how expensive and invasive some treatments are? Isabella Cueto, STAT, 14 Jan. 2022 The researchers contend that this study marks the first time that a machine-learning algorithm has been matched to brain data to explain the workings of a high-level cognitive task. Anna Blaustein, Scientific American, 26 Oct. 2021 Arguably, achieving universal health care and higher education and addressing the nation’s aging water pipe infrastructure (which has yielded a modern-day lead crisis) could be expected to make similar contributions to brain health across decades. Daniel R. George, Scientific American, 25 Aug. 2021 Then of course there’s me, spying on these other women — and some dads, too — instead of keeping tabs on my four kids, one of whom is poised to brain somebody with a stick. Washington Post, 4 June 2021 See More
Noun
Their new model tracks spatial information in a way that parallels the inner workings of the brain. Stephen Ornes, Quanta Magazine, 12 Sep. 2022 The problem-solving tasks will vary widely to ensure a workout for all parts of the brain. cleveland, 5 Sep. 2022 Carhart-Harris and his coauthors posited that perhaps the effect was the result of boosting connections between different parts of the brain. WIRED, 2 Sep. 2022 Those people underwent cognitive and mental health testing and received a diffusion MRI of the brain. Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 30 Aug. 2022 In a 2019 review article on memory perspective, St. Jacques noted that shifting your vantage and fabricating an entirely new scene rely on the same mental processes occurring in the same regions of the brain. Jacob Stern, The Atlantic, 29 Aug. 2022 The Infrared Sauna Blanket V4 detoxifies the body, relaxes the mind, boosts your mood, promotes glowing skin, and ignites a healthy DOSE of your brain’s feel-good chemicals (Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin, Endorphins). Olivia O'bryon, Forbes, 25 Aug. 2022 On one occasion, he was hit by a piece of shrapnel and lost a portion of his brain, according to the Post. Stephanie Wenger, Peoplemag, 24 Aug. 2022 But the regions of the brain responsible for self-regulation do not develop any faster or earlier than before. New York Times, 22 Aug. 2022 Verb
The cancer initiative is personal for Biden, who lost his son Beau Biden to brain cancer in 2015. Alexander Thompson, BostonGlobe.com, 11 Sep. 2022 The man who could brain Mr. Lingk with Rusty’s ashes, or the one who could harm and tie up a helpless old lady, would almost certainly be game for something that nasty. Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 9 Aug. 2022 This can help alleviate back and neck stress and give your eyes and brain a break from the screen. Alexa Mikhail, Fortune, 28 July 2022 They are linked to brain developmental problems in infants and cancer. Katy Stech Ferek, WSJ, 31 Jan. 2022 How will brain stimulation become accessible to all the patients who need it, given how expensive and invasive some treatments are? Isabella Cueto, STAT, 14 Jan. 2022 The researchers contend that this study marks the first time that a machine-learning algorithm has been matched to brain data to explain the workings of a high-level cognitive task. Anna Blaustein, Scientific American, 26 Oct. 2021 Arguably, achieving universal health care and higher education and addressing the nation’s aging water pipe infrastructure (which has yielded a modern-day lead crisis) could be expected to make similar contributions to brain health across decades. Daniel R. George, Scientific American, 25 Aug. 2021 Then of course there’s me, spying on these other women — and some dads, too — instead of keeping tabs on my four kids, one of whom is poised to brain somebody with a stick. Washington Post, 4 June 2021 See More Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English, from Old English brægen; akin to Middle Low German bregen brain, and perhaps to Greek brechmos front part of the head
First Known Use
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Verb
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing brain
Kids Definition
brain 1 of 2
noun
ˈbrān
1
: the part of the nervous system that is inside the skull, consists of grayish nerve cells and whitish nerve fibers, and is the organ of thought and the central control point for the nervous system
2
: the ability to think : intelligence
3
: someone who is very smart
brain
2 of 2verb
brained; braining
: to hit on the head very hard
Medical Definition
brain
noun
ˈbrān
1
: the portion of the vertebrate central nervous system enclosed in the skull and continuous with the spinal cord through the foramen magnum that is composed of neurons and supporting and nutritive structures (as glia) and that integrates sensory information from inside and outside the body in controlling autonomic function (as heartbeat and respiration), in coordinating and directing correlated motor responses, and in the process of learning see forebrain, hindbrain, midbrain
2
: a nervous center in invertebrates comparable in position and function to the vertebrate brain
brains 1 of 2
noun
as in intelligence
the ability to learn and understand or to deal with problems you have the brains to figure out that problem on your own Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- intelligence
- intellect
- sense
- brainpower
- reason
- smarts
- talent
- intellectuality
- mentality
- insight
- aptitude
- wisdom
- gray matter
- headpiece
- mind
- braininess
- brilliance
- acumen
- intellectualism
- perception
- skull
- perspicacity
- discernment
- wit
- astuteness
- alertness
- judgment
- sagacity
- percipience
- common sense
- sapience
- apprehension
- discriminability
- horse sense
- head
- mother wit
- eggheadedness
- highbrowism
- judgement
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- density
- dumbness
- stupidity
- imbecility
- idiocy
- feeblemindedness
- dulness
- foolishness
- dullness
- fatuity
- slowness
- denseness
- dopiness
- senselessness
- simpleness
- doltishness
- half-wittedness
brains
2 of 2verb
as in skulls
Synonyms & Similar Words
- skulls
- beans
- conks
- spears
- clubs
- sledgehammers
- cudgels
- saps
- canes
- sledges
- switches
- butts
- knees
- stabs
- whips
- lashes
- levels
- flails
- floors
- slashes
- decks
- creams
- chops
- thrashes
- bumps
- taps
- flogs
- kicks
- strokes
- prods
- jabs
- stamps
- knocks down
- dumps
- jostles
- sucker punches
- flicks
- fells
- pokes
- rabbit-punches
- peppers
- boxes
- pushes
- shoves
- slugs
- bats
- socks
- clocks
- whales
- licks
- pelts
- batters
- bowls (down or over)
- bunts
- buffets
- cuffs
- hammers
- nails
- pounds
- bungs
- mangles
- bludgeons
- laces
- bangs
- clips
- zaps
- tags
- punches
- belts
- pommels
- scuffs
- bobs
- mauls
- raps
- clouts
- pummels
- hits
- cracks
- bops
- bonks
- knocks
- wallops
- claps
- roughs
- thwacks
- whacks
- thumps
- smacks
- pastes
- busts
- smites
- bashes
- swipes
- slaps
- lambastes
- biffs
- drubs
- beats
- slams
- strikes
- swats
- clobbers
- lambasts
- slogs
