The largest part of the brain, divided into left and right hemispheres, responsible for higher-order functions including conscious thought, memory, language, and voluntary movement. It contains the cerebral cortex, the wrinkled outer layer where most complex processing occurs.
From Latin cerebrum meaning 'brain,' derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *ker- meaning 'head' or 'horn.' This same root gave us words like 'horn' and 'cranium,' reflecting ancient observations about the head's prominent position.
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