nociceptive

adjective

no·​ci·​cep·​tive ˌnō-si-ˈsep-tiv How to pronounce nociceptive (audio)
1
of a stimulus : painful, injurious
2
: of, induced by, or responding to a nociceptive stimulus
nociceptive pain
a nociceptive nerve pathway

Examples of nociceptive in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web If the issue is nociceptive, anti-inflammatories or knee surgery should help. Amber Dance, Discover Magazine, 21 Jan. 2020 Although some had neuropathic pain, many had regular nociceptive pain. David Casarett, Discover Magazine, 26 Aug. 2015 In broad strokes, pain falls into three categories: nociceptive, neuropathic and nociplastic. Amber Dance, Discover Magazine, 21 Jan. 2020 In addition to sorting out nociceptive or neuropathic from centralized pain, QST also seems able to reveal subtypes. Amber Dance, Scientific American, 20 Jan. 2020 But new research in mice suggests the origin might be a previously unknown organ under the skin called the nociceptive glio-neural complex. National Geographic, 9 Jan. 2020 Dubbed the nociceptive glio-neural complex, this structure is not quite like the typical picture of a complex organ like the heart or the spleen. National Geographic, 15 Aug. 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nociceptive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin nocēre "to injure, harm" + -i- + -ceptive (in receptive) — more at noxious

Note: Term probably introduced by the British physiologist Charles Scott Sherrington (1857-1952) in several publications in 1904, as "Correlation of Reflexes and the Principle of the Common Path" (opening address to a meeting of the British Association, Section I, Physiology), Nature, vol. 70, no. 1819 (September 8, 1904), p. 463.

First Known Use

1904, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of nociceptive was in 1904

Dictionary Entries Near nociceptive

Cite this Entry

“Nociceptive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nociceptive. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

nociceptive

adjective
no·​ci·​cep·​tive ˌnō-si-ˈsep-tiv How to pronounce nociceptive (audio)
1
of a stimulus : painful, injurious
2
: of, induced by, or responding to a nociceptive stimulus
used especially of receptors or protective reflexes
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