sense organ

noun

: a bodily structure that receives a stimulus and is affected in such a manner as to initiate excitation of associated sensory nerve fibers which convey specific impulses to the central nervous system where they are interpreted as corresponding sensations : receptor

Examples of sense organ in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The mouth is so close to the brain, so tightly encircled by sense organs, that drilling can trigger a fight-or-flight response. Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 28 July 2025 Our sense organs vibrate with specific forms of energy or matter (with matter being but a dense form of energy) and set off a chain reaction that turns into information, interpretation, actions and so forth. Ginny Whitelaw, Forbes, 1 Oct. 2024 Vertebrates, according to Britannica, have backbones to support their bodies, a distinct head, a differentiated brain and nasal, optic and otic (ear) sense organs. Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 18 Apr. 2023 In this view, the brain operates like a telephone switchboard that maintains only reliable connections between incoming calls from our sense organs and outgoing messages to the muscles. Matthew Schafer, Scientific American, 1 Feb. 2020 Discovering a new organ Pyenson thinks that the new sense organ helps to coordinate this process. Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 23 May 2012

Word History

First Known Use

1826, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sense organ was in 1826

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Cite this Entry

“Sense organ.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sense%20organ. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Kids Definition

sense organ

noun
: a body part (as an eye or ear) that receives stimuli (as light or sound) in such a way as to excite nerve cells to send information to the brain

Medical Definition

sense organ

noun
: a bodily structure that receives a stimulus (as heat or sound waves) and is affected in such a manner as to initiate a wave of excitation in associated sensory nerve fibers which convey specific impulses to the central nervous system where they are interpreted as corresponding sensations : receptor

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