cranial nerve
nounDefinition of cranial nerve
: any of the nerves that arise in pairs from the lower surface of the brain one on each side and pass through openings in the skull to the periphery of the body and that comprise 12 pairs in reptiles, birds, and mammals and usually 10 in fishes and amphibians
Examples of cranial nerve in a Sentence
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Death would likely come from pressure applied to the neck and cut off circulation of nerves, particularly the vagus nerve, which is the tenth cranial nerve and longest nerve in the body, Wecht said. — Morgan Hines, USA TODAY, "What can a tiny bone tell us about Jeffrey Epstein's death?," 10 Aug. 2019 Stafford was diagnosed earlier this month with a benign tumor called an acoustic neuroma that was sitting on her cranial nerves. — Kyle Meinke | [email protected], nola.com, "Kelly Stafford, wife of Lions QB Matthew Stafford, resting after 12-hour brain surgery," 22 Apr. 2019 Whether stunted due to the tumor or killed by the chemo, Kevin's seventh cranial nerve withered. — Neil Steinberg, CNN, "How far would you go to be able to smile?," 13 June 2018 When the brain either reacts to a stimulus spontaneously or decides to form an expression intentionally, a message is sent out over the sixth and seventh cranial nerves. — Neil Steinberg, CNN, "How far would you go to be able to smile?," 13 June 2018 The rare cancer attacked his temporal bone, cranial nerve and inner ear. — Makayla Tendall, ajc, "'See ya later, suckas!': Family writes unique obituary for 5-year-old cancer victim," 13 July 2018 Garrett, of Van Meter, Iowa, died July 6 of a rare cancer that attacked his temporal bone and cranial nerve. — Fox News, "Obit, memorial service of 5-year-old Iowa boy gets attention," 13 July 2018 Garrett suffered from stage 4 Alveolar Fusion Negative Rhabdomyosarcoma (ARMS) which is a rare form of cancer that affected Garrett’s temporal bone, cranial nerve and inner ear, according to a GoFundMe created for him. — PEOPLE.com, "5-Year-Old Boy Dying of Cancer Prepares His Own Amazing Obituary: 'See Ya Later, Suckas!'," 12 July 2018 The mechanism behind the light sensitivity specifically may be related to irritation of the trigeminal nerve, a cranial nerve that’s responsible for sensation in your face, Ilan Danan, M.D., M.Sc. — Korin Miller, SELF, "9 Health Issues That Can Cause Sensitivity to Light," 5 June 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cranial nerve.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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