Another term for the amygdala, a brain structure involved in processing emotions, particularly fear.
From Greek amygdalē meaning 'almond', because the amygdala's shape resembles an almond. This anatomical term was given by early brain researchers who named structures based on their visual appearance to objects they recognized.
The fact that scientists named a brain region after an almond just because of its shape means that every time you see 'amygdale' or 'almond' (which is amygdalē in Greek), you're essentially saying 'little almond' in your brain—anatomy is full of quirky food-based naming.
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