nerve ending

noun

: a structure forming the distal end of a nerve axon see neuron illustration

Examples of nerve ending in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The most sensitive areas tend to be where the skin is thinnest or where there are more nerve endings, says Dr. Kopelman. Brigitt Earley, Glamour, 6 Mar. 2025 The body registers pain through nerve endings throughout the body. Kaitlin Sullivan, NBC News, 30 Jan. 2025 The experience of pain starts in a nerve ending, and the body detects the pressure and sends a signal to the spinal cord and then the brain. Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 30 Jan. 2025 The signal is triggered by sodium molecules rushing into the nerve ending, sending the message onward to the brain. Kaitlin Sullivan, NBC News, 30 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for nerve ending

Word History

First Known Use

1868, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nerve ending was in 1868

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Cite this Entry

“Nerve ending.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nerve%20ending. Accessed 15 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

nerve ending

noun
: a structure forming an end of a nerve axon that is distant from the cell body

Medical Definition

nerve ending

noun
: the structure in which the distal end of the axon of a nerve fiber terminates

called also nerve end

More from Merriam-Webster on nerve ending

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