accessory nerve

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noun Anatomy.

either one of the eleventh pair of cranial nerves, consisting of motor fibers from the spinal cord that innervate the pharyngeal, trapezius, and sternocleidomastoid muscles, and motor fibers from the brain that join the vagus to innervate the thoracic and abdominal viscera.

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Also called spinal accessory nerve.

Origin of accessory nerve

First recorded in 1835–45

Words nearby accessory nerve

accessory fruit, accessory gland, accessory hemiazygos vein, accessory ligament, accessory mineral, accessory nerve, accessory obturator artery, accessory pancreatic duct, accessory phrenic nerve, accessory pigment, accessory saphenous vein

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use accessory nerve in a sentence

Few have the nerve to call him and he's usually pleased when an old friend does.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Then he lost his nerve and decided to live after all, and I called for help.
A Million Ways to Die in Prison|Daniel Genis|December 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“But bringing it to New York was a bit nerve-wracking,” he admits.
This Fashion World Darling Is Homeless|Erica Wagner|December 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
For the dapper gent whose favorite accessory is a strong cocktail.
The Daily Beast’s 2014 Holiday Gift Guide: For the Don Draper in Your Life|Allison McNearney|November 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST

For anyone—not just a fan—the first time performing on camera can be nerve wracking.
Sotheby’s for Sex: The Problem with Auctioning Off Sex with A Porn Star|Aurora Snow|November 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It was Carmena, every nerve of her loyal nature on the alert to baffle this pursuer of Alessandro and Ramona.
Ramona|Helen Hunt Jackson
To add point to this success, he knew that the victor of Montebello was straining every nerve to gain this very prize.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison
I hadn't the nerve to stand there and tell her she'd never see her father again this side of the pearly gates.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
It was a hair-raising problem, too, and called for every ounce of nerve and every particle of skill the boy possessed.
Motor Matt's "Century" Run|Stanley R. Matthews
This time it was really Mr. Bills, and Mrs. Biggs went out to meet him, while Eloise felt every nerve quiver with dread.
The Cromptons|Mary J. Holmes

British Dictionary definitions for accessory nerve

accessory nerve

noun

either one of the eleventh pair of cranial nerves, which supply the muscles of the head, shoulders, larynx, and pharynx and the viscera of the abdomen and thorax

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

Medical definitions for accessory nerve

accessory nerve

A nerve that arises by two sets of roots: the cranial set, arising from the side of the medulla, and the spinal set, arising from the ventrolateral part of the first five cervical segments of the spinal cord. These two roots form the accessory nerve trunk, which divides into two branches: the internal, which unites with the vagus nerve in the jugular foramen and supplies the muscles of the pharynx, larynx, and soft palate; and the external, which continues through the jugular foramen to supply the sternocleidomastoid and trapezius muscles.eleventh cranial nerve