afferent
/ˈæ.fə.ɹənt/ adjective, noun
Forms afferents
- adjective Carrying towards. “An afferent nerve carries impulses from the body to the brain.”
- noun An afferent structure or connection.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology
From Latin adferens (“bringing to”), present participle of adferre (“to bring to”), from ad (“to, toward”) + ferre (“to carry, bear”). By surface analysis, af- + -fer + -ent.
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Bearing or conducting inwards to a part or organ; --opposed to efferent; as, afferent vessels; afferent nerves, which convey sensations from the external organs to the brain.
Etymology [L. afferens, p. pr. of afferre; ad + ferre to bear.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “afferent”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details