neuron

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

Updated on: 21 Apr 2018

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

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See neuron defined for kids

Recent Examples of neuron from the Web

Holography would not only see blood better but capture the electrochemical pulses of the neurons themselves.

— jason pontin, WIRED, "Thought-Reading Machines and the Death of Love," 16 Apr. 2018
Manipulating that pool of neurons affected grooming behavior, although not the parents’ retrieval of pups.

— lydia denworth, Scientific American, "A Command Center in the Mammalian Brain Orchestrates Parenting Behaviors," 11 Apr. 2018
In other words, the baby will figure it out, and the SNOO will help while his little brain is fine-tuning the necessary neurons.

— chloe schama, Vogue, "How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love This Magic Robot Baby Crib," 10 Apr. 2018
Moderate aerobic exercise like jogging, power walking, and swimming have been found to increase the number of neurons making important connections in our brains.

— chicagotribune.com, "Study: Being forgetful might actually mean you're smarter," 28 Mar. 2018
After all, the brain already consisted of two hemispheres linked by a dense bridge of neurons.

— naomi fry, The New Yorker, "The Mind-Expanding Ideas of Andy Clark," 26 Mar. 2018
Additionally, when the volunteers first began wearing the ear molds and their test scores took a dive, their auditory neurons were firing in a much more disorganized manner.

— veronique greenwood, New York Times, "How the Shape of Your Ears Affects What You Hear," 6 Mar. 2018
Your brain grows; more neurons are added and the number of connections between them increases.

— cleveland.com, "Build your brainpower at a Problem Solving Open House at Baldwin Wallace University," 2 Apr. 2018
Connectionists took a different tack, by attempting to simulate the way that millions of neurons, each of which was very simple and responded only to its immediate neighbors, combined in the brain to produce complex cognition.

— naomi fry, The New Yorker, "The Mind-Expanding Ideas of Andy Clark," 26 Mar. 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.

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

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

noun neu·ron \ ˈnü-ˌrän , ˈnyü- \

Definition of neuron for Students

: nerve cell

Medical Dictionary

neuron

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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