Hippocampus

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Hippocampus \Hip`po*cam"pus\, n. [L., the sea horse, Gr. ? a
     hippocampus (in senses 1 and 2); "i`ppos horse + ? to bend.]
     1. (Class. Myth.) A fabulous monster, with the head and fore
        quarters of a horse joined to the tail of a dolphin or
        other fish ({Hippocampus brevirostris}), -- seen in
        Pompeian paintings, attached to the chariot of Neptune.


        --Fairholt.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (Zool.) A genus of lophobranch fishes of several species
        in which the head and neck have some resemblance to those
        of a horse; -- called also {sea horse}.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: They swim slowly, in an erect position, and often cling
           to seaweeds by means of the incurved prehensile tail.
           The male has a ventral pouch, in which it carries the
           eggs till hatched.
           [1913 Webster]
  
     3. (Zool.) A name applied to either of two ridges of white
        matter in each lateral ventricle of the brain. The larger
        is called hippocampus major or simply hippocampus. The
        smaller, hippocampus minor, is called also {ergot} and
        {calcar}.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  hippocampus
       n 1: a complex neural structure (shaped like a sea horse)
            consisting of gray matter and located on the floor of
            each lateral ventricle; intimately involved in
            motivation and emotion as part of the limbic system; has
            a central role in the formation of memories
       2: seahorses [syn: {genus Hippocampus}]
       [also: {hippocampi} (pl)]