synapse

1 of 2

noun

syn·​apse ˈsi-ˌnaps How to pronounce synapse (audio)
sə-ˈnaps
: the point at which a nervous impulse passes from one neuron to another

synapse

2 of 2

verb

synapsed; synapsing

intransitive verb

1
: to form a synapse
2
: to come together in synapsis

Examples of synapse in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Because complement proteins were associated with synapse loss and the other peptides and proteins with synapse growth, the researchers proposed, A1 astrocytes were probably harmful, while A2s were probably beneficial. Kenneth Miller, Discover Magazine, 6 Aug. 2017 Thanks to a fibrous prolongation known as the axon, and to the end region of the axon known as the synapse, neurons can send signals to other cells, often quite far away. Pamela Weintraub, Discover Magazine, 6 July 2011 As reported in a Science study from February 2021, researchers also detected differences in neuron interactions and changes in the proteins involved in synapse firing. Zach Zorich, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2022 This job is typically delegated to dedicated software packages called solvers, which would need to be applied separately to every synapse and neuron. Lyndie Chiou, Quanta Magazine, 8 Feb. 2023 So everybody knows about neurotransmitters at the synapse and— well, not everybody, but probably Spectrum listeners. IEEE Spectrum, 23 May 2023 Studies show that chronic stress disrupts synapse regulation. Allison Futterman, Discover Magazine, 27 Jan. 2022 Edges can be any connections among nodes, from a physical connection such as a synapse between neurons to a statistical correlation such as when two parts of the brain are activated similarly during a cognitive task. Jay N. Giedd, Scientific American, 1 May 2016 To prune excess connections, the sleeping brain weakens each synapse by a proportional amount so that only the strongest survive, Tononi suggested. Kenneth Miller, Discover Magazine, 25 Feb. 2015

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'synapse.' 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

Noun

New Latin synapsis, from Greek, juncture, from synaptein to fasten together, from syn- + haptein to fasten

First Known Use

Noun

1899, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1910, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of synapse was in 1899

Dictionary Entries Near synapse

Cite this Entry

“Synapse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/synapse. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

synapse

noun
syn·​apse
ˈsin-ˌaps,
sə-ˈnaps
: the point at which a nerve impulse passes from one neuron to another

Medical Definition

synapse

1 of 2 noun
syn·​apse
ˈsin-ˌaps also sə-ˈnaps, chiefly British ˈsī-ˌnaps
1
: the place at which a nerve impulse passes from one neuron to another
2

synapse

2 of 2 intransitive verb
synapsed; synapsing
: to form a synapse or come together in synapsis

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