nerve ending

noun

: a structure forming the distal end of a nerve axon see neuron illustration

Examples of nerve ending in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
These pits house membranes rich in heat-sensitive nerve endings, enabling the snake to detect minute temperature differences in its environment. Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025 Lidocaine is a local anesthetic that stops pain by blocking the signals at the nerve endings in the skin, according to the Mayo Clinic. Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2025 Such nerve endings turned out to be remarkably specialized. Ariel Bleicher, Quanta Magazine, 16 Apr. 2025 How does pressure and vibration across millions of nerve endings become a hug? Ariel Bleicher, Quanta Magazine, 16 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for nerve ending

Word History

First Known Use

1868, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nerve ending was in 1868

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Cite this Entry

“Nerve ending.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nerve%20ending. Accessed 16 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

nerve ending

noun
: a structure forming an end of a nerve axon that is distant from the cell body

Medical Definition

nerve ending

noun
: the structure in which the distal end of the axon of a nerve fiber terminates

called also nerve end

More from Merriam-Webster on nerve ending

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