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motor region

motor region

5.1
The part of the brain that controls body movement you choose to make
  • noun
  • /ˈmoʊtər ˈriːdʒən/
  • Specialized
translation icon : región motora
  • The motor region of the brain coordinates the movement of your arms and legs as you walk.

Memory regions, emotion regions, motor regions, and visual regions, they're all lighting up.

Examples

  • Damage to the motor region can result in difficulty controlling muscle movements.

  • Doctors study the motor region to understand how the brain influences voluntary actions.

  • Memory regions, emotion regions, motor regions, and visual regions, they're all lighting up.

Synonyms

motor cortex
vsmotor region
  • Specialized
3 5.5

The part of the brain that plans and controls movements you make on purpose

focuses on control of muscles rather than planning or execution
motor area
vsmotor region
  • Specialized
1 5.1

A part of the brain that controls movements you make on purpose

is the same brain part given a different name
Rolando's area
vsmotor region
  • Archaic
9.6

A part of the brain that controls movements you choose to make

is the same brain part known by another term

Surface Forms

motor region singular
motor regions plural

Morphology

motor + region

The meaning 'a region responsible for controlling voluntary muscle movements' is directly and transparently derived from 'motor' (relating to movement/control) + 'region' (an area). This is a straightforward compositional noun phrase common across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the MWE's meaning despite its technical register.

Etymology

The term motor region comes from early brain studies where touching one region of the brain made parts of the body move, so scientists called that area the motor, a word for 'mover'. That's why motor region means 'the part of the brain that controls the movements you choose to make'.