Meaning & use
temporal lobe
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Meaning
nouncountablemedicalbiology
The part of each side of the brain, near the temple, that helps with hearing, memory, language and understanding speech.
Grammar: Countable: the left temporal lobe, both temporal lobes.
Patterns
- damage to the temporal lobe
- a temporal lobe seizure
Damage to the temporal lobe can affect memory and speech.
The scan showed activity in the left temporal lobe while she listened to music.
The temporal lobe helps us recognize familiar voices.
Word forms
| plural | temporal lobes |
|---|
Common combinations
- left temporal lobe
- The left temporal lobe is important for understanding words.
- temporal lobe epilepsy
- Temporal lobe epilepsy is a common type of epilepsy.
- damage the temporal lobe
- A head injury can damage the temporal lobe.
- temporal lobe seizure
- A temporal lobe seizure can cause strange smells or memories.
Synonyms and how they differ
- frontal lobe
- The frontal lobe is a different region at the front of the brain that handles planning and decisions, not hearing or memory.
- cerebral cortex
- The cerebral cortex is the whole outer layer of the brain, of which the temporal lobe is one region.
Word family
Commonly confused: temporal lobe or temporary?
temporal lobe vs temporary
Temporary means lasting a short time, while temporal in this phrase refers to the temples on the head.
Practice
A doctor says the patient's trouble understanding speech may be linked to the ___.
Choose one answer.
The temporal lobe processes hearing and language. The occipital lobe handles vision, which is a tempting wrong choice.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “temporal lobe”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.