hippocampus

noun

Etymology: 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.

1. A mythological creature with the front head and forelimbs of a horse and the rear of a fish.
2. 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.

   “Holonyms: limbic system < brain < central nervous system, CNS”

   “The hippocampus is central to the laying down of memories.”