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efferent

[ ef-er-uhnt ]
/ ˈɛf ər ənt /
Anatomy, Physiology
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adjective
conveying or conducting away from an organ or part (opposed to afferent).
noun
an efferent part, as a nerve or blood vessel.

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Origin of efferent

1830–40; <Latin efferent- (stem of efferēns carrying off, present participle of efferre), equivalent to ef-ef- + ferent- carrying (fer- carry + -ent--ent)

OTHER WORDS FROM efferent

ef·fer·ence, nounef·fer·ent·ly, adverb

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH efferent

afferent, efferent
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use efferent in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for efferent

efferent
/ (ˈɛfərənt) /

adjective
carrying or conducting outwards from a part or an organ of the body, esp from the brain or spinal cordCompare afferent

Derived forms of efferent

efference, nounefferently, adverb

Word Origin for efferent

C19: from Latin efferre to bear off, from ferre to bear
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 efferent

efferent
[ ĕf′ər-ənt ]

Carrying motor impulses away from a central organ or part, as a nerve that conducts impulses from the central nervous system to the periphery of the body. Compare afferent.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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