axon
[ ak-son ]
/ ˈæk sɒn /
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noun
Cell Biology. the appendage of the neuron that transmits impulses away from the cell body.
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In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…
Also ax·one [ak-sohn]. /ˈæk soʊn/.
Origin of axon
1835–45; <New Latin <Greek áxōn an axle, axis; akin to Latin axis
OTHER WORDS FROM axon
ax·on·al [ak-suh-nl, ‐son-l], /ˈæk sə nl, ‐ˌsɒn l/, adjectiveDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use axon in a sentence
Standard neurons have dendrites that collect information from the axons of other neurons.
Artificial Neural Nets Finally Yield Clues to How Brains Learn|Anil Ananthaswamy|February 18, 2021|Quanta MagazineAs the cells grew, their message-sending axons and message-receiving dendrites neatly followed the robots’ lined grooves.
Tiny, magnetically controlled robots coax nerve cells to grow connections|Laura Sanders|September 25, 2020|Science NewsThe metabolites do this by reaching a developing pup’s brain where they affect the growth of axons, she says.
A mother mouse’s gut microbes help wire her pup’s brain|Carolyn Wilke|September 23, 2020|Science News
British Dictionary definitions for axon
axon
axone (ˈæksəʊn)
/ (ˈæksɒn) /
noun
the long threadlike extension of a nerve cell that conducts nerve impulses from the cell bodyCompare dendrite
Derived forms of axon
axonal, adjectiveWord Origin for axon
C19: via New Latin from Greek: axis, axle, vertebra
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 axon
axon
[ ăk′sŏn′ ]
The long portion of a neuron that conducts impulses away from the body of the cell. Also called nerve fiber
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural definitions for axon
axon
The part of a nerve cell or neuron that transfers a nerve impulse from the nerve cell body to a synapse with another cell. (See action potential.) Depending on the location of the cell, the length of an axon can vary widely. In some cases (such as the axons that form the spinal cord), they may be several feet long.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.