central nervous system

American  

noun

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

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central nervous system British  

noun

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

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central nervous system Scientific  

1. The part of the nervous system in vertebrate animals that consists of the brain and spinal cord.

2. Compare peripheral nervous system

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central nervous system Cultural  

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

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Etymology

Origin of central nervous system

First recorded in 1890–95

Compare meaning

How does central-nervous-system compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• central nervous system vs. peripheral nervous system

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

central nervous system

Because the retina is part of the central nervous system, the researchers say these findings may have implications beyond vision.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 14, 2026

Many contain large amounts of caffeine, which stimulates the central nervous system and makes you feel more awake.

From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026

The company is developing treatments for chronic pain, working on compounds aimed at offering meaningful pain relief while avoiding the central nervous system effects that come with many existing therapeutics, it says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026

Scientists also identified similarities between feline and human cancers affecting the blood, bones, lungs, skin, gastrointestinal tract, and central nervous system.

From Science Daily ● May 24, 2026

He theorized that the organization of the central nervous system and neural networks were involved with and impacted attention.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel