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hip·po·cam·pus

(hĭp′ə-kămpəs)

n. pl. hip·po·cam·pi (-pī′)

1. A ridge in the floor of each lateral ventricle of the brain that consists mainly of gray matter and has a central role in memory processes.

2. Variant of hippocamp.

[New Latin, from Late Latin, hippocamp (from the shape of the structure in cross section ); see HIPPOCAMP.]

hip′po·campal (-pəl) adj.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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