neuron

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noun neu·ron \ ˈnü-ˌrän , ˈnyü- ; ˈnu̇r-ˌän , ˈnyu̇r- \

Definition of neuron

:a grayish or reddish granular cell that is the fundamental functional unit of nervous tissue transmitting and receiving nerve impulses and having cytoplasmic processes which are highly differentiated frequently as multiple dendrites or usually as solitary axons which conduct impulses to and away from the cell body :nerve cell 1

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neuronal

play \ˈnu̇r-ə-nᵊl, ˈnyu̇r-; nu̇-ˈrō-nᵊl, nyu̇-\ or less commonly neuronic play \nu̇-ˈrä-nik, nyu̇-\ adjective

See neuron defined for English-language learners

See neuron defined for kids

Recent Examples of neuron from the Web

Apps like Unimersiv take students on treks of ancient Greece or deep inside the neurons of the human brain.

— jay samit, Fortune, "These Virtual Field Trips Allow Students to Travel Across Time and Space," 29 Aug. 2017
People are certainly researching how to create a cybernetic eye and attach it to your neurons.

— devon maloney, HWD, "Orphan Black Science Consultant Cosima Herter Breaks Down the Series Finale," 12 Aug. 2017
The human brain is made of bio-circuits with a massive number of interconnecting neurons—about 100 billion of them.

— bill huang, Scientific American Blog Network, "Robots with Their Heads in the Clouds," 2 Aug. 2017
Caleb Finch, a neurobiologist who studies Alzheimer’s at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, points out that in human brains, amyloid plaques are associated with neuron death, which wasn’t measured in the new study.

— ryan cross, Science | AAAS, "Elderly chimps may get Alzheimer’s, renewing interest in studying these animals," 1 Aug. 2017
Yosinski zooms in on one of the AI’s individual computational nodes—the neurons, so to speak—to see what is prompting its response.

— paul voosen, Science | AAAS, "How AI detectives are cracking open the black box of deep learning," 6 July 2017
In a process called backpropagation, the outcome is sent backward through the network, enabling it to reweight the triggers for each neuron.

— paul voosen, Science | AAAS, "How AI detectives are cracking open the black box of deep learning," 6 July 2017
The team still has to test its new method in neurons.

— naseem s. miller, OrlandoSentinel.com, "UCF scientists use new tool in Parkinson's research," 30 June 2017
That is why CPR has to be done so soon after a heart attack or drowning—because if the brain is starved of oxygen-rich blood, the neurons die, along with the memories stored therein.

— michael shermer, Scientific American, "Why the “You” in an Afterlife Wouldn't Really Be You," 26 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'neuron.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Illustration of neuron

Origin and Etymology of neuron

New Latin neuron, from Greek, nerve, sinew — more at nerve

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1891

See Words from the same year

NEURON Defined for English Language Learners

neuron

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noun

Definition of neuron for English Language Learners

medical : a cell that carries messages between the brain and other parts of the body and that is the basic unit of the nervous system

NEURON Defined for Kids

neuron

play

noun neu·ron \ ˈnü-ˌrän , ˈnyü- \

Definition of neuron for Students

:nerve cell

Medical Dictionary

neuron

play

noun neu·ron \ ˈn(y)ü-ˌrän , ˈn(y)u̇(ə)r-ˌän \

variants: also neurone play \-ˌrōn, -ˌōn\

medical Definition of neuron

:one of the cells that constitute nervous tissue, that have the property of transmitting and receiving nerve impulses, and that are composed of somewhat reddish or grayish protoplasm with a large nucleus containing a conspicuous nucleolus, irregular cytoplasmic granules, and cytoplasmic processes which are highly differentiated frequently as multiple dendrites or usually as solitary axons and which conduct impulses toward and away from the cell body :nerve cell 1

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