somatosensory

adjective

so·​mato·​sen·​so·​ry sō-ˌma-tə-ˈsen(t)s-rē How to pronounce somatosensory (audio)
-ˈsen(t)-sə-rē
: of, relating to, or being sensory activity having its origin elsewhere than in the special sense organs (such as eyes and ears) and conveying information about the state of the body proper and its immediate environment
also : relating to or being either of two regions in the parietal lobe that receive and process somatosensory stimuli

Examples of somatosensory in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web That means that long before hominin brains started exponentially growing in size and hominin hands started making stone tools, the basic brain architecture for making somatosensory maps was already in place. Chip Colwell, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Feb. 2024 But the somatosensory cortex often reacted within 20 milliseconds. Chip Colwell, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Feb. 2024 The somatosensory system registers sensations detected by the muscles, joints, skin and the body tissues that connect them, called the fascia. Discover Magazine, 19 Oct. 2023 For example, gymnasts who practice walking on narrow beams continuously challenge their somatosensory and vestibular systems. Discover Magazine, 19 Oct. 2023 The somatosensory cortex enables the brain to sense what the body touches. Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 19 Sep. 2023 Surgeons must avoid areas of the cortex that are crucial for everyday behavior, such as the primary auditory, visual, somatosensory and motor cortices and the regions controlling understanding and producing speech, areas known as the eloquent cortex. Christof Koch, Scientific American, 10 May 2021 The compound found in Sichuan peppercorns trigger somatosensory neurons to prevent the influx and efflux of electrolytes, Na^+ and K^+, through ion channels [6,7]. Anthony Martin, Discover Magazine, 13 Jan. 2016 Your somatosensory system takes input from external stimuli, such as heat, cold, pressure, and other physical inputs, and communicates these impulses through your spinal cord to your brain’s cerebral cortex. Sarah Wells, Popular Mechanics, 11 July 2023

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

Word History

First Known Use

1952, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of somatosensory was in 1952

Dictionary Entries Near somatosensory

Cite this Entry

“Somatosensory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/somatosensory. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

somatosensory

adjective
so·​ma·​to·​sen·​so·​ry sō-ˌmat-ə-ˈsen(t)s-(ə-)rē How to pronounce somatosensory (audio) ˌsō-mət-ə- How to pronounce somatosensory (audio)
: of, relating to, or being sensory activity having its origin elsewhere than in the special sense organs (as eyes and ears) and conveying information about the state of the body proper and its immediate environment
somatosensory pathways
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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