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Added 9 October 2026

hippocampus

/ˌhɪpə(ʊ)ˈkæm.pəs/ noun

Latin root: hippocampus Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about hippocampus at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A mythological creature with the front head and forelimbs of a horse and the rear of a fish.
A part of the brain located inside the temporal lobe, consisting mainly of grey matter. It is a component of the limbic system and plays a role in memory and emotion.

Origin

From Late Latin hippocampus, from Ancient Greek ἱππόκαμπος (hippókampos, from ῐ̔́ππος (hĭ́ppos, “horse”) + κάμπος (kámpos, “sea-monster”)). The anatomy sense is so named from its resemblance to the seahorse. By surface analysis, hippo- + campus.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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