neurotransmitter

American  

[noor-oh-trans-mit-er, -tranz-, nyoor-] / ˌnʊər oʊˈtræns mɪt ər, -ˈtrænz-, ˌnjʊər- /

noun

1. any of several chemical substances, as epinephrine or acetylcholine, that transmit nerve impulses across a synapse to a postsynaptic element, as another nerve, muscle, or gland.

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neurotransmitter British  

/ ˌnjʊərəʊtrænzˈmɪtə /

noun

1. a chemical by which a nerve cell communicates with another nerve cell or with a muscle

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neurotransmitter Scientific  

/ nr′ō-trănz′mĭt-ər /

1. A chemical substance that is produced and secreted by a neuron and then diffuses across a synapse to cause excitation or inhibition of another neuron. Acetylcholine, norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin are examples of neurotransmitters.

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neurotransmitter Cultural  

1. Any one of a number of chemicals that are used to transmit nerve signals across a synapse. They are sprayed from the end of the “upstream” nerve cell and absorbed by receptors in the “downstream” cell.

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Discover More

Drugs like Prozac and alcohol affect the emission and reception of neurotransmitters.

Etymology

Origin of neurotransmitter

First recorded in 1960–65; neuro- + transmitter

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

neurotransmitter

Other favourites for Brostrom were French-born sleep researcher Emmanuel Mignot and Japanese-American biologist Masashi Yanagisawa for work on the neurotransmitter orexin which stops you from falling asleep.

From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026

It activates dopamine, the neurotransmitter in the brain that triggers a feeling of relaxation.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2026

We have a reasonable understanding of the brain’s “reward circuitry” associated with regions that produce the neurotransmitter dopamine.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 12, 2026

Among the most important came from Arvid Carlsson’s work establishing dopamine as a major neurotransmitter.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

There the electrical impulse is converted into a chemical neurotransmitter to float across the synapse to the next neuron.

From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman