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Pacinian corpuscle

American  
[puh-sin-ee-uhn] / pəˈsɪn i ən /

noun

  1. (sometimes lowercase) a microscopic, onionlike body consisting of layers of connective tissue wrapped around a nerve ending, located in the deep layers of skin, tendons, etc., and functioning as a sensory receptor of pressure and vibration.


Etymology

Origin of Pacinian corpuscle

1875–80; after Filippo Pacini (1812–83), Italian anatomist; see -ian


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.

See Examples For:

There are four primary tactile mechanoreceptors in human skin: Merkel’s disks, Meissner’s corpuscles, Ruffini endings, and Pacinian corpuscle; two are located toward the surface of the skin and two are located deeper.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 9, 2022

One of these receptors, the Pacinian corpuscle, responds to pressure and vibration.

From The Guardian ● Feb. 28, 2021

In fact, as the neuroscientist David Linden explained to me, it involves a predictable misread by something called a Pacinian corpuscle.

From The New Yorker ● May 16, 2016

The right nerve is attached to a Pacinian corpuscle, which is a yellow structure consisting of concentric ovals similar to an onion.

From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2015

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