neuron

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 sense 1

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Other Words from neuron

neuronal \ ˈnu̇r-ə-nᵊl

, ˈnyu̇r- ; nu̇-ˈrō-nᵊl , nyu̇-

\ or less commonly neuronic \ nu̇-ˈrä-nik

, nyu̇- \ adjective

Examples of neuron in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The neurons that are required to be able to feel pain don't exist. — Julyssa Lopez, Glamour, "What Unplanned Gets Wrong About Abortion, According to Experts," 11 Apr. 2019 Benzodiazepines work by increasing signaling of GABA, a neurotransmitter that reduces the activity of your neurons, Dr. Alan says. — Korin Miller, SELF, "5 Bipolar Disorder Treatments You Should Know About," 30 Nov. 2018 And contrary to the notion that forgetfulness reflects a withering of brain cells, scientists say it can actually be driven by the growth of new neurons in the hippocampus, a brain region linked to memory. — Sue Shellenbarger, WSJ, "Why Forgetfulness Might Actually Help You," 22 Jan. 2019 Egocentric spatial information is encoded by one population of neurons in the hippocampus, and allocentric spatial information is encoded by a different population of cells in the hippocampus. — Diana Gitig, Ars Technica, "Collating memories of what happened based on where it happened," 25 Nov. 2018 The drugs work by impacting neurotransmitters, the chemicals that transmit messages between neurons, and may help reduce symptoms, the NIA says. — Korin Miller, SELF, "Are There Early Signs of Alzheimer’s Disease to Watch For?," 28 Nov. 2018 This suggested that to work, linalool tickled odor-sensitive neurons in the nose that send signals to just the right spots in the brain — the same ones triggered by Valium. — Joanna Klein, The Seattle Times, "Lavender’s soothing scent could be more than just folk medicine," 26 Oct. 2018 The electrical and chemical ripples can stimulate neurons throughout the brain, according to this theory. — Tony Dajer, Discover Magazine, "Vertigo, Panic and Trouble Breathing: What's Going On Here?," 19 Oct. 2018 Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects dopamine-producing neurons in the brain. — Alexandria Hein, Fox News, "Cancer survivor left crippled by treatment undergoes life-saving surgery," 27 Aug. 2018

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.

History and Etymology for neuron

borrowed from German Neuron, borrowed from Greek neûron "sinew, tendon, nerve" — more at nerve entry 1

Note: Term introduced by the German anatomist Heinrich Wilhelm Waldeyer (Heinrich Wilhelm Gottfried von Waldeyer-Hartz, 1836-1921) in "Ueber einige neuere Forschungen im Gebiete der Anatomie der Centralnervensystems," Berliner klinische Wochenschrift, 28. Jahrgang, no. 28, July 13, 1891, p. 691: "Somit besteht ein Nervenelement (eine 'Nerveneinheit' oder 'Neuron', wie ich es zu nennen vorschlagen möchte), den genannten Forschungsergebnissen … zufolge, aus nachstehenden Stücken: a) einer Nervenzelle, b) dem Nervenfortsatze, c) dessen Collateralen und d) dem Endbäumchen." - "Therefore, in accordance with the cited research results, a nerve element (a 'nerve unit' or 'neuron,' as I would like to suggest as a name), consists of the following parts: a) a nerve cell, b) the nerve process [= axon], c) its collaterals and d) the end tree [= axon terminals]." Waldeyer apparently intended -on to be taken as a suffix, indicating a unit, rather than the Greek neuter singular inflectional ending, as he utilized Neuronen as the plural in the same article. Cf. French neurone and the English variant neurone.

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4 May 2019

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The first known use of neuron was in 1891

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More Definitions for neuron

neuron

noun

English Language Learners Definition of neuron

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

See the full definition for neuron in the English Language Learners Dictionary

neuron

noun

neu·ron | \ ˈnü-ˌrän

, ˈnyü-\

Kids Definition of neuron

: nerve cell

neuron

noun

neu·ron | \ ˈn(y)ü-ˌrän

, ˈn(y)u̇(ə)r-ˌän

variants: also neurone \ -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 sense 1

Other Words from neuron

neuronal \ ˈn(y)u̇r-ən-ᵊl

, n(y)u̇-ˈrōn-ᵊl

\ also neuronic \ n(y)u̇-ˈrän-ik

\ adjective

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