Noun
1. The cortical part of the neencephalon. (wordnetweb.princeton.edu)
2. The phylogenetically new part of the cerebral cortex that develops from the area between the piriform lobe and the hippocampus, comprises the non-olfactory region of the cortex, and attains its maximum development in humans where it makes up the greater part of the cerebral hemisphere on each side. (merriam-webster.com)
3. A part of the brain of mammals. It is the outer layer of the cerebral hemispheres, and made up of six layers, labelled I to VI (with VI being the innermost and I being the outermost). It is part of the cerebral cortex (along with the archicortex and paleocortex, which are cortical parts of the limbic system). In all mammals, it is involved in “higher functions” such as sensory perception, generation of motor commands, spatial reasoning, conscious thought and language. (wikipedia.org)
Word origin: Latin for “new mantle”