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Glite Dictionary
Broca's center

Broca's center

7.5
A part of the brain usually on the left side that helps you speak
  • noun
  • /ˈbroʊkəz ˈsɛntər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : centro de Broca
  • Damage to the Broca's center can result in difficulty speaking or forming sentences.

Examples

  • During surgery, the doctor took care to avoid the patient's Broca's center.

  • Researchers studied the Broca's center to better understand language disorders.

  • The Broca's center is crucial for speech production.

  • Damage to the Broca's centre can lead to speech difficulties.

  • Damage to the Broca's center can result in difficulty speaking or forming sentences.

  • Researchers studied the Broca's center to better understand language disorders.

  • The Broca's center is crucial for coordinating speech production during conversations.

Synonyms

Broca's area
vsBroca's center
  • Specialized
1 7.1

A part of the left side of the brain that controls the movements used for speaking

is the general name emphasizing production rather than motor detail
convolution of Broca
vsBroca's center
  • Specialized
9.9

A part of the left front of the brain that helps you move your mouth to speak

is broader and not limited to typical motor function
Broca's gyrus
vsBroca's center
  • Specialized
8.4

A part of the left front of the brain that helps you speak

is a more specific term focusing on production rather than naming
Broca's convolution
vsBroca's center
  • Specialized
9.6

Part of the left front of the brain that controls the muscles used for speaking and helps make words

emphasizes the production role more directly than mere association

Surface Forms

Broca's center singular
Broca's centers plural

Morphology

Broca's + center

This is an eponymous technical term: 'Broca's' is a proper name (an eponym) and carries no semantic clue to speech production for a learner who does not know the historical referent, while 'center' only gives a generic notion of a locus. A B1 learner who knows the constituents would not be able to deduce that it refers specifically to the left-hemisphere brain area responsible for speech without prior exposure or specialist knowledge.

Etymology

Broca's center is named after a French doctor, Broca, who found that damage to a small area on the left side of the brain stopped people being able to 'speak'. So Broca's center now means the part of the brain that helps you make words and 'speak'.