efferent

[ ef-er-uhnt ]
See synonyms for efferent on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. conveying or conducting away from an organ or part (opposed to afferent).

noun
  1. an efferent part, as a nerve or blood vessel.

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Origin of efferent

1
1830–40; <Latin efferent- (stem of efferēns carrying off, present participle of efferre), equivalent to ef-ef- + ferent- carrying (fer- carry + -ent--ent)

Other words from efferent

  • ef·fer·ence, noun
  • ef·fer·ent·ly, adverb

Words that may be confused with efferent

Words Nearby efferent

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use efferent in a sentence

  • This vesicle appears as a continuation of the Mllerian ducts, but receives a number of the efferent ductules of the kidneys.

  • But the efferent ductules from the kidney gradually alter their points of entrance into the primitive duct.

  • Then adjusted itself to the exact micro-frequency that carried the messages in his efferent nervous system.

    The K-Factor | Harry Harrison (AKA Henry Maxwell Dempsey)
  • Every efferent neuron in his system carried the message full power.

    The K-Factor | Harry Harrison (AKA Henry Maxwell Dempsey)
  • In other words, the vitality of the cells on the efferent side ought not to be dependent on the integrity of the reflex arc.

    The Origin of Vertebrates | Walter Holbrook Gaskell

British Dictionary definitions for efferent

efferent

/ (ˈɛfərənt) /


adjective
  1. carrying or conducting outwards from a part or an organ of the body, esp from the brain or spinal cord: Compare afferent

Origin of efferent

1
C19: from Latin efferre to bear off, from ferre to bear

Derived forms of efferent

  • efference, noun
  • efferently, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for efferent

efferent

[ ĕfər-ənt ]


  1. Carrying motor impulses away from a central organ or part, as a nerve that conducts impulses from the central nervous system to the periphery of the body. Compare afferent.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.