PHRENIC NERVE

 Dictionary entry overview: What does phrenic nerve mean? 

• PHRENIC NERVE (noun)
  The noun PHRENIC NERVE has 1 sense:

1. one of a pair of nerves that arises from cervical spinal roots and passes down the thorax to innervate the diaphragm and control breathing

  Familiarity information: PHRENIC NERVE used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PHRENIC NERVE (noun)

Meaning:

One of a pair of nerves that arises from cervical spinal roots and passes down the thorax to innervate the diaphragm and control breathing

Classified under:

Nouns denoting body parts

Synonyms:

nervus phrenicus; phrenic nerve

Hypernyms ("phrenic nerve" is a kind of...):

nervus spinalis; spinal nerve (any of the 31 pairs of nerves emerging from each side of the spinal cord (each attached to the cord by two roots: ventral and dorsal))