Meaning & use
vermis
Last updated
Meaning
nounsingularbiology
The narrow strip of tissue running down the middle of the cerebellum that joins its two side lobes and helps control balance and posture.
Grammar: Usually used with the: the vermis; the plural vermes is rare.
Patterns
- the vermis of the cerebellum
- damage to the vermis
Damage to the vermis can make it hard for a person to stand steadily.
The scan showed that the vermis was smaller than average.
Neurologists link the cerebellar vermis with control of the trunk and walking.
Word forms
| plural | vermes |
|---|
Common combinations
- cerebellar vermis
- The cerebellar vermis lies between the two hemispheres.
- damage to the vermis
- Damage to the vermis may cause an unsteady gait.
- vermis hypoplasia
- Vermis hypoplasia means that the structure is underdeveloped.
- the superior vermis
- Researchers examined the superior vermis in the brain images.
Synonyms and how they differ
- cerebellar vermis
- This is simply the full anatomical name, and it is clearer to readers who might not know vermis alone.
Word family
- vermian adjective
- relating to the vermis or to worms
- vermiform adjective
- shaped like a worm
- vermicelli noun
- thin pasta strands, named for resembling little worms
Commonly confused: vermis or vermin?
vermis vs vermin
Vermin are pests such as rats or lice, whereas the vermis is a part of the brain.
Practice
The vermis is part of which structure?
Choose one answer.
The vermis is the midline strip joining the two sides of the cerebellum. The other structures do not contain it.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “vermis”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.