cerebral

[suh-ree-bruh l, ser-uh-] /səˈri brəl, ˈsɛr ə-/
adjective
1.
Anatomy, Zoology. of or pertaining to the cerebrum or the brain.
2.
betraying or characterized by the use of the intellect rather than intuition or instinct:
His is a cerebral music that leaves many people cold.
3.
Phonetics, retroflex (def 2).
noun
4.
Phonetics. a cerebral sound.
Origin
1795-1805; < Neo-Latin cerebrālis. See cerebrum, -al1
Related forms
cerebrally, adverb
intercerebral, adjective
noncerebral, adjective
overcerebral, adjective
postcerebral, adjective
precerebral, adjective
subcerebral, adjective
supercerebral, adjective
supercerebrally, adverb
Examples from the web for cerebral
  • The cerebral hemispheres and other parts of the brain involved with vision and movement were relatively large.
  • cerebral hypoxia occurs when there is not enough oxygen getting to the brain.
  • Shrapnel is excised, cerebral tissue swells, and the scalp is pulled taut and sewn back over a ballooning brain.
  • Moreover, functional brain imaging now reveals how they achieve their extraordinary cerebral feats.
  • Without myelin, brain cells die, leaving children vulnerable to neurological deficits such as cerebral palsy.
  • Let's say that a particular cerebral nucleus was found, existing only in conscious creatures.
  • The plexus on the vertebral artery is continued on to the basilar, posterior cerebral, and cerebellar arteries.
  • The distinctive, deeply wrinkled outer surface is the cerebral cortex, which consists of gray matter.
  • These cerebral primates forage for food during daylight hours.
  • It can also have applications in human health and medicine, particularly in the area of prosthetics and cerebral palsy.
British Dictionary definitions for cerebral

cerebral

/ˈsɛrɪbrəl; US səˈriːbrəl/
adjective
1.
of or relating to the cerebrum or to the entire brain
2.
involving intelligence rather than emotions or instinct
3.
(phonetics) another word for cacuminal
noun
4.
(phonetics) a consonant articulated in the manner of a cacuminal consonant
Derived Forms
cerebrally, adverb
Word Origin and History for cerebral
adj.

1816, "pertaining to the brain," from French cérébral (16c.), from Latin cerebrum "the brain" (also "the understanding"), from PIE *keres-, from root *ker- "top of the head" (see horn (n.)). Meaning "intellectual, clever" is from 1929. Cerebral palsy attested from 1824, originally a general term for cases of paralysis that seemed to be traceable to "a morbid state of the encephalon." Later used in a more specific sense from c.1860, based on the work of English surgeon Dr. William Little.

cerebral in Medicine

cerebral cer·e·bral (sěr'ə-brəl, sə-rē'-)
adj.
Of or relating to the brain or cerebrum.

cerebral in Science
cerebral
  (sěr'ə-brəl, sə-rē'brəl)   
Relating to or involving the brain or cerebrum.
cerebral in Culture
cerebral [(suh-ree-bruhl, ser-uh-bruhl)]

A descriptive term for things pertaining to the brain or cerebrum.

Note: The term is also used figuratively to describe things that appeal to the intellect.