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olfactory bulb
noun
: a bulbous anterior projection of the olfactory lobe that is the place of termination of the olfactory nerves and is especially well developed in lower vertebrates (such as fishes)
Examples of olfactory bulb in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In September 2024, these miniature pollutants were also discovered in the human olfactory bulb, a type of brain tissue that sits above the nose in the forebrain.
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Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Feb. 2025
Salinas has always had a hunch that bacteria might be leaking from the nose into the olfactory bulb.
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Yasemin Saplakoglu, WIRED, 5 Jan. 2025
Humans have two olfactory bulbs, one above each nasal cavity.
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Kaitlin Sullivan, NBC News, 16 Sep. 2024
As Salinas expected, the olfactory bulb hosted some bacteria.
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Yasemin Saplakoglu, WIRED, 5 Jan. 2025
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Word History
First Known Use
1851, in the meaning defined above
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Cite this Entry
“Olfactory bulb.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/olfactory%20bulb. Accessed 23 Feb. 2025.
Kids Definition
olfactory bulb
noun
: either of two small round structures projecting from the lower surface of the brain above the nasal cavity that transmit stimuli from the olfactory nerves to other areas of the brain for processing
Medical Definition
olfactory bulb
noun
: a bulbous anterior projection of the olfactory lobe that is the place of termination of the olfactory nerves
More from Merriam-Webster on olfactory bulb
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about olfactory bulb
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