nociception
noun
no·ci·cep·tion
| \ ˌnō-sə-ˈsep-shən
\
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Medical Definition of nociception
: the perception of a painful or injurious stimulus
In reality, [infants] have all the anatomical and functional components required for nociception, and they react appropriately to painful stimuli.— Thomas E. Wiswell, The New England Journal of Medicine, 24 Apr. 1997
— called also nociperception