FREE NERVE ENDING

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does free nerve ending mean? 

• FREE NERVE ENDING (noun)
  The noun FREE NERVE ENDING has 1 sense:

1. microscopic sensory nerve endings in the skin that are not connected to any specific sensory receptor

  Familiarity information: FREE NERVE ENDING used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• FREE NERVE ENDING (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Microscopic sensory nerve endings in the skin that are not connected to any specific sensory receptor

Classified under:

Nouns denoting body parts

Hypernyms ("free nerve ending" is a kind of...):

nerve end; nerve ending (the terminal structure of an axon that does not end at a synapse)

Holonyms ("free nerve ending" is a part of...):

cutis; skin; tegument (a natural protective body covering and site of the sense of touch)

 Context examples 

A free nerve ending that is a receptor for painful stimuli.

(Nociceptor, NCI Thesaurus)

The free nerve endings detect pain, touch, pressure and temperature, and are associated with C fibres.

(Free Nerve Ending, NCI Thesaurus)

Free nerve endings are widely distributed throughout the body, and are found as branches of unmyelinated, or lightly myelinated fibres grouped in bundles beneath the epithelium.

(Free Nerve Ending, NCI Thesaurus)