1. a large cushion or pillow used as a couch or seat in ancient Rome
Usage: historical
2. a part of the thalamus in the brain involved in visual processing
Usage: anatomy; medical

Examples

• The wealthy Roman reclined on an ornate pulvinar during the feast.
• Ancient Romans used pulvinars as luxurious seating in their homes.
• The pulvinar region of the brain helps process visual attention.
• Damage to the pulvinar can affect visual perception.
• Archaeologists discovered fragments of a decorated pulvinar at the villa.
• The pulvinar nucleus connects to various areas of the cerebral cortex.