nociceptive

adjective

no·​ci·​cep·​tive ˌnō-si-ˈsep-tiv How to pronounce nociceptive (audio)
1
of a stimulus : painful, injurious
2
: of, induced by, or responding to a nociceptive stimulus
nociceptive pain
a nociceptive nerve pathway

Examples of nociceptive in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The nociceptive system, which registers pain, is one player. Emily Sohn, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2024 Many chronic pain conditions actually involve a combination of all three of these phenomena – nociceptive, neuropathic and nociplastic pain – which adds to the difficulty of diagnosis and treatment. Rachael Rzasa Lynn, The Conversation, 25 July 2024 Specific substances in the body, such as prostaglandins (a group of lipid compounds with hormone-like effects), can also lower nociceptive thresholds. Jennifer Chesak, Verywell Health, 24 June 2024 If the issue is nociceptive, anti-inflammatories or knee surgery should help. Amber Dance, Discover Magazine, 21 Jan. 2020 Although some had neuropathic pain, many had regular nociceptive pain. David Casarett, Discover Magazine, 26 Aug. 2015 In broad strokes, pain falls into three categories: nociceptive, neuropathic and nociplastic. Amber Dance, Discover Magazine, 21 Jan. 2020 In addition to sorting out nociceptive or neuropathic from centralized pain, QST also seems able to reveal subtypes. Amber Dance, Scientific American, 20 Jan. 2020 But new research in mice suggests the origin might be a previously unknown organ under the skin called the nociceptive glio-neural complex. National Geographic, 9 Jan. 2020

Word History

Etymology

Latin nocēre "to injure, harm" + -i- + -ceptive (in receptive) — more at noxious

Note: Term probably introduced by the British physiologist Charles Scott Sherrington (1857-1952) in several publications in 1904, as "Correlation of Reflexes and the Principle of the Common Path" (opening address to a meeting of the British Association, Section I, Physiology), Nature, vol. 70, no. 1819 (September 8, 1904), p. 463.

First Known Use

1904, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of nociceptive was in 1904

Dictionary Entries Near nociceptive

Cite this Entry

“Nociceptive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nociceptive. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

nociceptive

adjective
no·​ci·​cep·​tive ˌnō-si-ˈsep-tiv How to pronounce nociceptive (audio)
1
of a stimulus : painful, injurious
2
: of, induced by, or responding to a nociceptive stimulus
used especially of receptors or protective reflexes
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