1. Term for the lymphatic tonsils (pharyngeal, palatine, lingual, laryngeal, and tubal). 2. General term describing a nucleus in the temporal lobe, amygdaloid body. [L. fr. G. amygdale, almond; in Mediev. & Mod. L., a tonsil]
- a. cerebelli obsolete term for cerebellar tonsil.
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amyg·da·la ə-'mig-də-lə n, pl -lae -.lē, -.lī the one of the four basal ganglia in each cerebral hemisphere that is part of the limbic system and consists of an almond-shaped mass of gray matter in the roof of the lateral ventricle called also amygdaloid body, amygdaloid nucleus
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n.
one of the basal ganglia: a roughly almond-shaped mass of grey matter deep inside each cerebral hemisphere. It has extensive connections with the olfactory system and sends nerve fibres to the hypothalamus; its functions are apparently concerned with mood, feeling, instinct, and possibly memory for recent events.
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amyg·da·la (ə-migґdə-lə) [Gr. amygdalē almond] 1. almond. 2. in anatomical nomenclature, an almond-shaped structure. 3. corpus amygdaloideum.Medical dictionary. 2011.