vagus nerve

noun

va·​gus nerve ˈvā-gəs- 

: either of the 10th pair of cranial nerves that arise from the medulla oblongata and supply chiefly the viscera especially with autonomic sensory and motor fibers

called also vagus

Examples of vagus nerve in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Slower, longer-exhale practices are generally the gentlest entry point and the ones most directly tied to vagus nerve activation in the research. —Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 6 May 2026

The posterior pharyngeal muscles at the back of the throat are innervated by the vagus nerve. —Allison Palmer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 May 2026

In these locations, the vagus nerve runs closest to the surface. —Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 8 Apr. 2026

Intriguing hints are emerging that vagus nerve stimulation may help the aging brain. —Elizabeth Riley, The Conversation, 26 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin vagus nervus, literally, "wandering nerve,"; so called from its multiplicity of connecting points in the neck, thorax, and abdomen — more at vague

First Known Use

1856, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for vagus nerve

• conserve
• deserve
• manoeuvre
• observe
• preserve
• reserve
• subserve
• curve
• mirv
• serve
• swerve
• verve

Medical Definition

vagus nerve

noun

: either of the tenth pair of cranial nerves that arise from the medulla and supply chiefly the viscera especially with autonomic sensory and motor fibers

called also pneumogastric nerve, tenth cranial nerve, vagus