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1
: of or relating to the diaphragm
2
: of or relating to the mind
Examples of phrenic in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Cancer may also be found in the bronchus, pleura, diaphragm, chest wall, breastbone, backbone, phrenic nerve, pericardium, vena cava, aorta, pharynx, trachea, esophagus, and/or carina (the area where the trachea branches into the bronchi).
—Lynne Eldridge, Verywell Health, 15 Aug. 2023
Stellate or phrenic nerve blocks: These injections use medications that numb the target nerve.
—Jessica Migala, Health, 6 Aug. 2023
There are few concrete medical cures for the hiccups, but experts know that stopping them ideally involves the diaphragm, the vagus nerve and the phrenic nerve.
—Madeline Holcombe, CNN, 4 Mar. 2022
In general, things that irritate the diaphragm or the nerves that connect to the diaphragm (called the phrenic and vagus nerves), can lead to hiccups.
—Jessica Migala, Health.com, 16 Nov. 2021
The phrenic nerve controls the diaphragm, while the vagus nerve helps control the lungs and other internal organs.
—Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 30 June 2021
All of that effort distracts the nerves that are responsible for the diaphragm and epiglottis, called the phrenic and vagus nerves.
—Theresa MacHemer, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 June 2021
For severe cases, your doctor might even try injecting an anesthetic to influence how your phrenic nerve behaves.
—Claire Gillespie, SELF, 4 May 2018
Those include drugs that target serotonin receptors and a device that electrically stimulates the phrenic nerve to force diaphragm movement and maintain breathing.
—Max Blau, STAT, 10 Apr. 2018
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Word History
Etymology
borrowed from new Latin phrenicus, from Late Latin phren-, phrēn "midriff, diaphragm, mind" (usually in plural phrenes) (borrowed from Greek phren-, phrḗn) + Latin -icus -ic entry 1 — more at frenetic
First Known Use
1685, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near phrenic
Cite this Entry
“Phrenic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/phrenic. Accessed 18 Dec. 2024.
Medical Definition
phrenic
1 of 2 adjective
phren·ic
ˈfren-ik
: of or relating to the diaphragm
phrenic
2 of 2 nounLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
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