1. A region of the brain located deep within the cerebral cortex, involved in processing emotions and sensory information.
Usage: anatomy; neuroscience
2. In ancient Rome, a large apartment building or tenement house, typically housing multiple families.
Usage: historical; Roman history
3. An island or isolated piece of land.
Usage: archaic; literary

Examples

• The insula plays a crucial role in emotional awareness and self-perception.
• Damage to the insula can affect a person's ability to recognize emotions.
• Archaeologists discovered well-preserved insulae in the ruins of Pompeii.
• Roman insulae were often crowded and lacked modern sanitation.
• The insula is activated when people experience disgust or empathy.
• Medieval maps sometimes depicted distant lands as mysterious insulae.