ganglion

noun

gan·​gli·​on ˈgaŋ-glē-ən 

plural ganglia ˈgaŋ-glē-ə  also ganglions

1

: a small cystic tumor connected either with a joint membrane or tendon sheath

2

a

: a mass of nerve tissue containing cell bodies of neurons external to the brain or spinal cord

also : nucleus sense 2b

b

: something likened to a nerve ganglion

a ganglion of cables and wires

ganglionated

ˈgaŋ-glē-ə-ˌnā-təd 

adjective

ganglionic

ˌgaŋ-glē-ˈä-nik 

adjective

Examples of ganglion in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Some new research from Jefferson Health in Philadelphia suggests that a procedure called stellate ganglion block is somewhat effective at reducing parosmia in patients who didn’t respond to pharmaceutical or topical therapies. —Elizabeth Both, NBC News, 20 Nov. 2023

According to the Cleveland Clinic, stellate ganglion block (SGB) is an injection of medication into the stellate ganglion, a part of the sympathetic nervous system that is located in the neck, on either side of the voice box. —Serena Coady, SELF, 15 Apr. 2022

Each dark band is a ganglion, which would have controlled a single pair of legs. —K. N. Smith, Discover Magazine, 1 Mar. 2016

So, Science Eye aims to turn retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) into photoreceptors, reintroducing the first step in the process of sight and keeping the ability to make that light-to-vision translation active. —Tim Newcomb, Popular Mechanics, 1 May 2023

About 20 years ago, however, that assumption was completely transformed when research from many laboratories culminated in the discovery of light-sensitive cells in the ganglion layer at the front of the retinae that can function separately from the visual system. —Steven Lockley, Scientific American, 18 Mar. 2021

Stellate ganglion blocks have been used for decades to treat chronic pain of the right or left upper extremities, pain conditions in the face, abnormal heart rhythms, menopause and post-traumatic stress disorder, Shin said. —Saleen Martin, USA TODAY, 7 Apr. 2023

It's called a stellate ganglion block. —Erika Edwards, NBC News, 31 Mar. 2023

His needle’s target: a collection of nerves known as the stellate ganglion. —Julia O'Malley, Anchorage Daily News, 30 Dec. 2022

See More

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin, borrowed from Greek ganglíon "tumor on a tendon, mass of nerve tissue (thought to resemble such tumors)," of obscure origin

First Known Use

1597, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing ganglion

• basal ganglion
• dorsal root ganglion
• spinal ganglion

• basal ganglion
• dorsal root ganglion
• spinal ganglion

Kids Definition

ganglion

noun

gan·​gli·​on ˈgaŋ-glē-ən 

plural ganglia -glē-ə  also ganglions

: a mass of nerve tissue lying outside the brain or spinal cord and containing neurons

also : nucleus sense c

ganglionic

ˌgaŋ-glē-ˈän-ik 

adjective

Medical Definition

ganglion

noun

gan·​gli·​on ˈgaŋ-glē-ən 

plural ganglia -glē-ə  also ganglions

1

: a small cystic tumor (as on the back of the wrist) containing viscid fluid and connected either with a joint membrane or tendon sheath

2

a

: a mass of nerve tissue containing cell bodies of neurons that is located outside the central nervous system and forms an enlargement upon a nerve or upon two or more nerves at their point of junction or separation

b

: a mass of gray matter within the brain or spinal cord : nucleus sense 2 see basal ganglion