dendrite

[ den-drahyt ]

noun

1. Petrology, Mineralogy.
   1. a branching figure or marking, resembling moss or a shrub or tree in form, found on or in certain stones or minerals due to the presence of a foreign material.
   2. any arborescent crystalline growth.
2. Anatomy. the branching process of a neuron that conducts impulses toward the cell.

dendrite

/ ˈdɛndraɪt; dɛnˈdrɪtɪk /

noun

1. Also calleddendron any of the short branched threadlike extensions of a nerve cell, which conduct impulses towards the cell body
2. a branching mosslike crystalline structure in some rocks and minerals
3. a crystal that has branched during growth and has a treelike form

dendrite

/ dĕn′drīt′ /

1. Any of several parts branching from the body of a neuron that receive and transmit nerve impulses.
2. A mineral that has a branching crystal pattern. Dendrites often form within or on the surface of other minerals and often consist of manganese oxides.

Derived Forms

• denˈdritically, adverb
• dendritic, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of dendrite¹

1720–30; < Greek dendrī́tēs pertaining to a tree, equivalent to dendr- dendr- + -ītēs -ite ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of dendrite¹

C18: from Greek dendritēs relating to a tree

Example Sentences

These axon runners from one cell connect through synapses to dendrite runners on other cells.

From Project Gutenberg

Dendrite, den′drīt, n. a mineral in which are figures resembling plants.

From Project Gutenberg