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afferent

American  
[af-er-uhnt] / ˈæf ər ənt /

adjective

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

noun

  1. a nerve carrying a message toward the central nervous system.

afferent British  
/ ˈæfərənt /

adjective

  1. bringing or directing inwards to a part or an organ of the body, esp towards the brain or spinal cord Compare efferent

"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
afferent Scientific  
/ ăf′ər-ənt /

  1. 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.

  2. Compare efferent

Other Word Forms

Etymology

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

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Example Sentences

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Afferent and efferent can also refer generally to neurons which, respectively, bring information to or send information from brain region.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.