pallium

noun

pal·​li·​um ˈpa-lē-əm 

plural pallia ˈpa-lē-ə  or palliums

1

a

: a white woolen band with pendants in front and back worn over the chasuble by a pope or archbishop as a symbol of full episcopal authority

b

: a draped rectangular cloth worn as a cloak by men of ancient Greece and Rome

2

[New Latin, from Latin, cloak]

a

: cerebral cortex

b(1)

: the mantle of a mollusk or brachiopod

(2)

: the mantle of a bird

Examples of pallium in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But recent studies have split on which part of the pallium is responsible for storing spatial memory. —Lily Carey, Discover Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024

As recently as late 2023, scientists found that goldfish with lesions in the pallium performed worse on memory tasks than those without lesions, regardless of which part was altered. —Lily Carey, Discover Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024

This suggested that at least parts of the DVR evolved from the pallium of an ancestor shared with amphibians. —Quanta Magazine, 14 Feb. 2023

If salamanders had neurons in their pallium that were similar to neurons in the mammalian neocortex or the reptilian DVR, then those neurons must have existed in an ancient ancestor that all three groups of animals shared. —Quanta Magazine, 14 Feb. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin

First Known Use

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Medical Definition

pallium

noun

pal·​li·​um ˈpal-ē-əm 

plural pallia -ē-ə  or palliums

: cerebral cortex