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exteroceptor

American  
[ek-ster-uh-sep-ter] / ˌɛk stər əˈsɛp tər /

noun

Physiology.

  1. a receptor responding to stimuli originating outside the body.

exteroceptor British  
/ ˈɛkstərəʊˌsɛptə /

noun

  1. any sensory organ or part of the body, such as the eye, able to receive stimuli from outside the body Compare interoceptor proprioceptor

"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

Other Word Forms

  • exteroceptive adjective

Etymology

Origin of exteroceptor

1905–10; extero- ( see exteroceptive) + (re)ceptor

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

An exteroceptor is a receptor that is located near a stimulus in the external environment, such as the somatosensory receptors that are located in the skin.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

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.