innervate

[ih-nur-veyt, in-er-veyt]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR innervate ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), in·ner·vat·ed, in·ner·vat·ing.

to communicate nervous energy to; stimulate through nerves.

to furnish with nerves; grow nerves into.

Origin of innervate

First recorded in 1865–70; in-² + nerve + -ate¹

Can be confusedenergize enervate innervate invigorate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for innervate

prompt, inspire, propel, sway, excite, drive, trigger, galvanize, spark, provoke, spur, persuade, incline, stir, incite, motivate, induce, generate, inflame, elicit

Examples from the Web for innervate

Historical Examples of innervate

Optic ganglia: are at the sides of the procerebrum and innervate the compound eyes.
Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology
John. B. Smith

British Dictionary definitions for innervate

innervate

verb (tr)

to supply nerves to (a bodily organ or part)

to stimulate (a bodily organ or part) with nerve impulses

Derived Formsinnervation, noun

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

Word Origin and History for innervate

1870, from in- (2) "in" + Latin nervus (see nerve) + -ate. Probably rather a back-formation from innervation (1832). Related: Innervated. Innervation in psychology is from 1880.

innervate in Medicine

innervate

[ĭ-nûr′vāt′, ĭn′ər-]

v.

To supply an organ or a body part with nerves.

To stimulate a nerve, muscle, or body part to action.