Wernicke's area

[ wur-ni-kuhz air-ee-uh, vair-ni-keez ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

, Anatomy.

a portion of the left posterior temporal lobe of the brain, including the posterior of the superior temporal gyrus and adjacent areas, and associated with the ability to understand words.

Wernicke's area

/ vĕr′nĭ-kēz,-kəz /

An area located in the rear of the left temporal lobe of the brain. It is associated with the ability to recognize and understand spoken language. It is named for its discoverer, German neurologist and psychologist Carl Wernicke (1848–1905).

First recorded in 1905–10; after German neurologist Karl Wernicke (1848–1905), who discovered it

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