Dictionary

dendrite en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈdɛndɹaɪt/ (UK)
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Ancient Greek δενδρίτης (dendrítēs, “of or pertaining to a tree”). Equivalent to dendr- + -ite.

Meanings

1. A slender projection of a nerve cell which conducts nerve impulses from a synapse to the body of the cell; a dendron.
   • A typical brain neuron has perhaps a thousand little wires, called dendrites, which connect it with its fellows. 1979, Carl Sagan, “Can We Know the Universe? Reflections on a Grain of Salt”, in John Carey, editor, Eyewitness to Science, Harvard University Press, published 1997, page 437:
   • Little copses of television antennas. Whiplike, graceful thrilling metal dendrites drawing images from the air, bringing brotherhood, communion to immured apartment people. 1970, Saul Bellow, Mr. Sammler’s Planet, Greenwich, CT: Fawcett, 1971, Chapter 1, pp. 12–13 (online edition)
2. Slender cell process emanating from the cell bodies of dendritic cells and follicular dendritic cells of the immune system.
3. Tree-like structure of crystals growing as material crystallizes
4. (historical) A hermit who lived in a tree.

Forms

Deriveds

dendritic · cytodendrite · somatodendrite · multidendrite · oblique dendrite · dendritogenesis · apical dendrite

Relateds

neuron · synapse · axon

Translations (29)

ja 忍石 (crystal) · uk дендри́т (projection of a nerve cell) · kmr liq û pop (projection of a nerve cell) · it dendrite (projection of a nerve cell) · ru дендри́т (projection of a nerve cell) · fi dendriitti (crystal) · bg дендрит (crystal) · pt dendrito (crystal) · el δενδρίτης (projection of a nerve cell) · pl dendryt (crystal) · uk дендри́т (crystal) · sh дендрит (projection of a nerve cell) · pt dendrito (projection of a nerve cell) · it dendrita (hermit) · pl dendryt (projection of a nerve cell) · kmr dendrît (projection of a nerve cell) · cmn 樹突 /树突 (projection of a nerve cell) · pt dendrita (hermit) · ca dendrita (projection of a nerve cell) · fi dendriitti (projection of a nerve cell) · sv dendrit (projection of a nerve cell) · bg дендри́т (projection of a nerve cell) · ja 樹状突起 (projection of a nerve cell) · fi tuojahaarake (projection of a nerve cell) · es dendrita (projection of a nerve cell) · nl dendriet (projection of a nerve cell) · fr dendrite (projection of a nerve cell) · sh dendrit (projection of a nerve cell) · pl pustelnik żyjący na drzewie (hermit)