chiasm

noun

Examples of chiasm in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Not by accident, that spot is directly above and linked to the optic chiasm, the X where nerve cells from the left and right eyes cross. Dan Hurley, Discover Magazine, 4 Nov. 2016 In the case of vision, the optic nerves leading from each eye meet inside the brain at what is called the optic chiasm. Michael S Gazzaniga, Discover Magazine, 29 Feb. 2012 Here, each nerve splits in half; the medial half (the inside track) of each crosses the optic chiasm into the opposite side of the brain, and the lateral half (that on the outside) stays on the same side. Michael S Gazzaniga, Discover Magazine, 29 Feb. 2012 Most people have an optic chiasm, a crossroads where half of the signals from each eye cross over the midline, in such a way that each half of the brain gets information from one side of space. Neuroskeptic, Discover Magazine, 14 Apr. 2013

Word History

Etymology

New Latin chiasma

First Known Use

1870, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of chiasm was in 1870

Dictionary Entries Near chiasm

Cite this Entry

“Chiasm.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chiasm. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

chiasm

noun
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!