trigeminal

American

[trahy-jem-uh-nl] / traɪˈdʒɛm ə nl /

adjective

of or relating to the trigeminal nerve.

noun

Also called trigeminal nerve. either one of the fifth pair of cranial nerves, consisting of motor fibers that innervate the muscles of mastication, and of sensory fibers that conduct impulses from the head and face to the brain.

trigeminal British

/ traɪˈdʒɛmɪnəl /

adjective

anatomy of or relating to the trigeminal nerve

"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

Etymology

Origin of trigeminal

1820–30; < New Latin trigemin ( us ) ( Latin: triple, equivalent to tri- tri- + geminus twin, double) + -al ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

trigeminal

Importantly, many of the same molecular signatures were also found in trigeminal tissue from people with obesity.

From Science Daily ● May 23, 2026

Trigeminal neuralgia is usually caused by compression of the trigeminal nerve - which transmits sensations of pain and touch from your face, teeth and mouth to the brain.

From BBC ● Feb. 3, 2026

She was battling the chronic pain disorder trigeminal neuralgia.

From New York Times ● Mar. 19, 2024

After performing at a 2021 trigeminal neuralgia awareness fundraiser in Chicago, he met people who had been living with TN for 10 or 15 years.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 21, 2023

The anterior margin of the origin is at the point where the mandibular ramus of the trigeminal nerve enters the mandible.

From Jaw Musculature of the Mourning and White-winged Doves by Robert L. Merz

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023