✨📕 The NEWThe NEW Collegiate Dictionary, 12th Edition Over 5,000 words added — Buy Now! Collegiate DictionaryBuy Now!

inferior alveolar nerve

noun

: a branch of the mandibular nerve that passes through the mandibular canal to the mental foramen giving off various branches along the way to the teeth of the lower jaw and finally to the skin of the chin and the skin and mucous membrane of the lower lip

called also inferior alveolar, inferior dental nerve

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Inferior alveolar nerve.” Merriam-Webster.com Medical Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/inferior%20alveolar%20nerve. Accessed 27 Nov. 2025.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!