accessory nerve

noun

, Anatomy.

1. either one of the eleventh pair of cranial nerves, consisting of motor fibers from the spinal cord that innervate the pharyngeal, trapezius, and sternocleidomastoid muscles, and motor fibers from the brain that join the vagus to innervate the thoracic and abdominal viscera.

accessory nerve

noun

1. either one of the eleventh pair of cranial nerves, which supply the muscles of the head, shoulders, larynx, and pharynx and the viscera of the abdomen and thorax

Word History and Origins

Origin of accessory nerve¹

First recorded in 1835–45

Example Sentences

Bernard was the first to succeed in following the spinal accessory nerve back to the jugular foramen, seizing it here with a strong pair of forceps and drawing it out by the roots.

From Project Gutenberg

The facial may be grafted on the accessory nerve, but the associated movements of the face which then accompany movements of the shoulder often prove inconvenient.

From Project Gutenberg

In the same group are three or four glands which lie entirely under cover of the upper end of the sterno-mastoid muscle, and surround the accessory nerve before it perforates the muscle.

From Project Gutenberg