nerve cell

/nərv sɛl/

Other forms: nerve cells

Definitions of nerve cell

1. noun

   a cell that is specialized to conduct nerve impulses
   synonyms: neuron

   types:

   gangliocyte, ganglion cell

   a nerve cell whose body is outside the central nervous system

   brain cell

   a nerve cell in the brain

   efferent neuron, motoneuron, motor nerve fiber, motor neuron

   a neuron conducting impulses outwards from the brain or spinal cord

   afferent neuron, sensory neuron

   a neuron conducting impulses inwards to the brain or spinal cord

   Golgi cell, Golgi's cell

   a neuron in the cerebral cortex with short dendrites and with either a long axon or a short axon that ramifies in the grey matter

   Purkinje cell

   a large densely branching neuron that is the characteristic cell of the cerebellar cortex

   type of:

   somatic cell, vegetative cell

   any of the cells of a plant or animal except the reproductive cells; a cell that does not participate in the production of gametes