dendrite

noun

den·​drite ˈden-ˌdrīt 

1

: a branching treelike figure produced on or in a mineral by a foreign mineral

also : the mineral so marked

2

: a crystallized arborescent form

3

: any of the usually branching protoplasmic processes that conduct impulses toward the body of a neuron see neuron illustration

Examples of dendrite in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Over time, and especially when the battery is forced to charge up fast, lithium ions can form dendrites—tendrils of metal that wind their way between the electrodes and eventually cause the battery to short. —Gregory Barber, WIRED, 6 June 2022

Neurons have little arms called dendrites that grab molecules dispatched by neighboring neurons which tell the receiving neuron either to fire and propagate a signal or not to fire. —Quanta Magazine, 26 June 2024

The gel’s structure also resists the formation of dendrites, the needle-like structures that can form on the anode during charging and cause short circuits. —IEEE Spectrum, 18 June 2024

Severe kinds of stresses in animals cause the elimination of synapses in the brain and, in fact, can prune whole branches of the inputs, or dendrites, to a cell. —Steven Strogatz, Quanta Magazine, 23 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1751, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

dendrite

noun

den·​drite ˈden-ˌdrīt 

1

: a branching figure (as in a mineral or stone) resembling a tree

2

: any of the usually branching extensions of a neuron over which impulses travel toward the cell body compare axon

dendritic

den-ˈdrit-ik

adjective

Medical Definition

dendrite

noun

den·​drite ˈden-ˌdrīt 

: any of the usually branching protoplasmic processes that conduct impulses toward the body of a nerve cell

dendritic

den-ˈdrit-ik 

adjective