afferent

[ af-er-uh nt ]

/ ˈæf ər ənt /

Physiology

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR afferent ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

bringing to or leading toward an organ or part, as a nerve or arteriole (opposed to efferent).

noun

a nerve carrying a message toward the central nervous system.

Words related to afferent

auditory, visual, sensual, tactile, sonic, neurological, neural, audiovisual, olfactory, aural, sensational, acoustic, audible, auricular, clear, discernible, distinct, ocular, perceptible, plain

Words nearby afferent

affective disorder, affective fallacy, affective psychosis, affectless, affenpinscher, afferent, afferent fiber, afferent glomerular arteriole, afferent nerve, afferent vessel, afferent-loop syndrome

Origin of afferent

1830–40; < Latin afferent- (stem of afferēns, present participle of afferre), equivalent to af- af- + fer- (stem of ferre to carry) + -ent- -ent

OTHER WORDS FROM afferent

af·fer·ent·ly, adverb

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH afferent

afferent efferent

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for afferent

In some cases ligation of the afferent vessels has been successful.
Manual of Surgery|Alexis Thomson and Alexander Miles
Branchial hearts are formed on the afferent vessels of the branchiae.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 6|Various
The lesions of the arteriosclerotic kidney are due to narrowing and eventual obstruction of the afferent vessels.
Arteriosclerosis and Hypertension:|Louis Marshall Warfield
The spinal cord is like an upturned tree, with man's hair as its roots, and afferent and efferent nerves as branches.
Autobiography of a YOGI|Paramhansa Yogananda

It is the latter or afferent function with which we are now concerned.
Second Sight|Sepharial

British Dictionary definitions for afferent

afferent

/ (ˈæfərənt) /

adjective

bringing or directing inwards to a part or an organ of the body, esp towards the brain or spinal cordCompare efferent

Word Origin for afferent

C19: from Latin afferre to carry to, from ad- to + ferre to carry

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

Medicine definitions for afferent

afferent

[ ăf′ər-ənt ]

adj.

Carrying inward to a central organ or section, as nerves that conduct impulses from the periphery of the body to the brain or spinal cord.

n.

An afferent organ or body part, such as a blood vessel.

Science definitions for afferent

afferent

[ ăf′ər-ənt ]

Carrying sensory information toward a central organ or part, as a nerve that conducts impulses from the periphery of the body to the central nervous system. Compare efferent.