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central nervous system

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noun
the part of the nervous system comprising the brain and spinal cord.

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Origin of central nervous system

First recorded in 1890–95
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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British Dictionary definitions for central nervous system

central nervous system

noun
the mass of nerve tissue that controls and coordinates the activities of an animal. In vertebrates it consists of the brain and spinal cordAbbreviation: CNS Compare autonomic nervous system
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 central nervous system

central nervous system

The part of the nervous system in vertebrate animals that consists of the brain and spinal cord. Compare peripheral nervous system.
The American HeritageŸ Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for central nervous system

central nervous system

The brain and spinal cord. (See nervous system).

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.
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