proprioception

[ proh-pree-uh-sep-shuhn ]

noun

, Physiology.

1. perception governed by proprioceptors, as awareness of the position of one's body.

proprioception

/ prō′prē-ō-sĕp′shən /

1. The unconscious perception of movement and spatial orientation arising from stimuli within the body itself. In humans, these stimuli are detected by nerves within the body itself, as well as by the semicircular canals of the inner ear.

Word History and Origins

Origin of proprioception¹

First recorded in 1905–10; proprio- + (re)ception