How do you say “brain” in German?

They say Germans are Kopfmenschen (“head people” - rational thinkers). But how do Germans talk about the brain and the mind?

Definition

The main German word for “brain” is Gehirn or just Hirn. This word is thought to be related to “horn” (in German, Horn), in the sense of “uppermost part of the body”, and as such is also related to “hornet” (Hornisse), because of its horn-like antennae, and “hart” (a male deer, Hirsch), because of the antlers.

In the sense of “reason” or “intellect”, the word for “brain” in German is Verstand. This word also means “mind”, although Geist (which also means “spirit” or “ghost”) is slightly more common.