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parasympathetic

pa·ra·sym·pathetic

UK/ˌpa.ɹə.sɪm.pəˈθɛt.ɪk/ US/ˌpɛɹ.ə.sɪm.pəˈθɛt.ɪk/ fairly common
adjective (1) noun (1)

adjective

1.

of or relating to the parasympathetic nervous system

noun

1.

originates in the brain stem and lower part of the spinal cord; opposes physiological effects of the sympathetic nervous system: stimulates digestive secretions; slows the heart; constricts the pupils; dilates blood vessels

Synonyms

Origin

From para- (“beside, adjacent to”) + sympathetic, because some of these nerves run alongside sympathetic nerves.

Related words

Word family

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Pertaining to

Parts

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.