Nociceptor
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 A sensory receptor that sends signals that cause the perception of pain in response to a potentially damaging stimulus.
"He divides receptors into three classes— "nociceptors", such as the nerve-endings for pain and hunger, "beneceptors", such as the nerve-endings stimulated when sugar melts on the tongue, and "neutroceptors", such as the nerve-endings in the eye and ear, called " neutroceptors" because they receive more or less indiscriminately both pleasant and unpleasant messages."
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More examples"He divides receptors into three classes— "nociceptors", such as the nerve-endings for pain and hunger, "beneceptors", such as the nerve-endings stimulated when sugar melts on the tongue, and "neutroceptors", such as the nerve-endings in the eye and ear, called " neutroceptors" because they receive more or less indiscriminately both pleasant and unpleasant messages."
Etymology
Coined by English neurophysiologist Charles Sherrington in 1906, originally in the spelling noci-ceptor, from noceō + clipped form of receptor, signifying pain detection.
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.