corpus
Meaning of corpus: In anatomy, corpus names the main body of an organ or structure, setting it apart from a neck, head, or other named part.
Definition of corpus
Corpus is a Latin word meaning body, used in anatomy to name the main or central portion of an organ or structure. The term appears in the names of several body parts, including the corpus of the uterus, which is its main body located above the cervix and below the fallopian tubes.
Other structures also use corpus in their names, such as the corpus callosum, a band of nerve fibers connecting the two halves of the brain, and the corpus luteum, a temporary structure that forms in the ovary after an egg is released. In each case, the word marks that structure as the principal or central part being described, as opposed to another named region of the same organ.
Because corpus is used in the names of several unrelated structures, its meaning depends entirely on the full anatomical term in which it appears.
Used in a sentence
The report described a mass located in the corpus of the uterus.
Good to know
Corpus by itself is not a complete anatomical term; it is meaningful only when paired with the specific structure it names, such as corpus uteri or corpus callosum.
Word origin
Where “corpus” comes from
From Latin corpus, meaning "body."