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left hemisphere

left hemisphere

6 4.4
The left half of the brain that controls the right side of the body and helps language and logical thinking
  • noun
  • /lɛft ˈhɛmɪsˌfɪr/
  • Specialized
translation icon : hemisferio izquierdo
  • Originally, the left hemisphere was considered the repository of intellect and reason.
  • left hemisphere's analytic processing
  • processing in the left hemisphere
  • dominance of the left hemisphere

Parts of her brain went offline and she was able to, you know, she was forced to quiet the left hemisphere of her brain.

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Examples

  • And you have this uncanny sense that the left hemisphere is, is just unaware of what the other half of its, of the brain is doing.

  • The left hemisphere is known as the logic-dominant hemisphere and deals mainly with details.

    Academic text (2012)
  • And it's that, that it's, in other words, it's the world that the left hemisphere is mapping.

  • After the removal of her left hemisphere, Sarah began to develop.

    Academic text (1992)
  • And one way of thinking of this is that the left hemisphere schematises.

  • The left hemisphere's dominant for language.

  • Both halves of the brain, not simply the linear, analytic-verbal left hemisphere, contribute to it.

    Academic text (1992)
  • A blood vessel then burst inside her left hemisphere and silenced all the brain chatter in her head.

    Blog text (17)
  • According to Strang and Rourke, these children have significantly dysfunctional right hemispheres and a well-developed left hemisphere.

    Academic text (1992)
  • The left hemisphere is responsible for language processing and analytical thinking.

Synonyms

left brain
vsleft hemisphere
5 4.4

Left half of the brain that controls the right body side and helps with language and thinking

is the more formal anatomical phrase that also notes language and analysis

Surface Forms

Morphology

left + hemisphere

The meaning 'the left half of the brain' is directly and compositionally derived from 'left' (pertaining to the left side) and 'hemisphere' (a cerebral half). This anatomical naming pattern is cross-linguistically common and follows straightforward noun-modifier composition, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will understand the MWE.

Etymology

Left hemisphere comes from the image of the brain as a round shape split into two, so the left hemisphere is the left half of that round part. Because this left half often controls the 'right side' of the body and handles 'language' and 'reasoning', the name helps you remember it is the part linked to speech and clear thinking.