vestibular

adjective ves·tib·u·lar \ ve-ˈsti-byə-lər \

Definition of vestibular

1 : of, relating to, or functioning as a vestibule

2 : of, relating to, or affecting the perception of body position and movement

the vestibular system of the inner ear

Recent Examples of vestibular from the Web

Ravioli suffers from neurologic and balance problems due to a vestibular disorder.

— dana burke, Houston Chronicle, "Abandoned harbor seal pups find refuge at Galveston's Moody Gardens," 1 Mar. 2018
Her dizziness may also have been due to the disruption of her vestibular system — her sense of balance, Wang said.

— tom avril, Philly.com, "Nathan Chen: How the Olympic figure skater's quadruple jumps mix power, precision," 7 Feb. 2018
Modius has built a headset that stimulates your vestibular nerve, which runs behind your ear and into your brain.

— the washington post, OregonLive.com, "CES 2018: 12 of the wildest tech gadgets coming online," 10 Jan. 2018
Three systems work together to ensure our balance: vestibular (motion, special orientation), visual (sight) and proprioception (touch).

— angela peterson, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "In Motion: Simple exercises can help improve balance," 12 Dec. 2017
That has to do with the way the human body relies both on the visual and vestibular systems to perceive its orientation in space.

— toni wall jaudon, The Atlantic, "How to Escape a Death Spiral," 6 Oct. 2017
Possibly explained by infrasound, which may stimulate cells in the ear’s vestibular system that controls balance, scientists say.

— Washington Post, "Cuba mystery: What theories US investigators are pursuing," 18 Sep. 2017
The vestibular system, which controls balance and coordination, is also thrown out of whack in zero gravity.

— NBC News, "These Scientists Want To Build a Better Astronaut," 20 June 2017
While the inner ear's vestibular system is maintaining balance, sound itself also seems to have a role.

— neil steinberg, CNN, "How to fall to your death and live to tell the tale," 7 June 2017

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

First Known Use of vestibular

circa 1839

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Medical Dictionary

vestibular

adjective ves·tib·u·lar \ ve-ˈstib-yə-lər \

medical Definition of vestibular

1 : of or relating to the vestibule of the inner ear, the vestibular system, the vestibular nerve, or the vestibular sense

vestibular impulses

2 : lying within or facing the vestibule of the mouth

the vestibular surface of a tooth

—

vestibularly

adverb

Learn More about vestibular

See words that rhyme with vestibular

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up vestibular? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

vestibular

Definition of vestibular

Recent Examples of vestibular from the Web

First Known Use of vestibular

Medical Dictionary

vestibular

medical Definition of vestibular

vestibularly

Learn More about vestibular

Seen and Heard

WORD OF THE DAY

salvo

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Test Your Vocabulary

Words at Play

'Flight': A Great Way To Try New Things

Absent Letters That Are Heard Anyway

Is 'Consensus of Opinion' Redundant?

The Good, The Bad, & The Semantically Imprecise - 7/13

Ask the Editors

Ghost Word

2017 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes

Literally

Is Singular 'They' a Better Choice?

Word Games

Obscure Shapes

Who Knew?

Name That Thing

Word Winder's CrossWinder

'Flight': A Great Way To Try New Things

Absent Letters That Are Heard Anyway

Obscure Shapes

Trending: Ocasio-Cortez Sparks 'Socialism' Lookups

Ghost Word

vestibular

Definition of vestibular

Recent Examples of vestibular from the Web

First Known Use of vestibular

Medical Dictionary

vestibular

medical Definition of vestibular

vestibularly

Learn More about vestibular

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

'Flight': A Great Way To Try New Things

Absent Letters That Are Heard Anyway

Obscure Shapes

Trending: Ocasio-Cortez Sparks 'Socialism' Lookups

Ghost Word