neural
NYOOR-uhl
/ˈnʊərəl/
Relating to a nerve or the nervous system, including pathways, signals, and brain circuits.
Covers electrical signal transmission across nerve cells, spinal cord, and brain networks.
The story behind the word. From Greek 'neuron', meaning sinew, cord, or nerve. Ancient Greek physicians originally grouped nerves, tendons, and ligaments together because all looked like tough fibrous cords.
Word relationships
- neurological: Relates to the medical study or pathology of nerves.
- nervous: Everyday term for nerves or psychological feeling of anxiety.
Commonly confused with
- neutral: Neutral means impartial or unbiased, while neural pertains to nerves.
Word family
- neuron (noun): A specialized nerve cell.
- neuralgia (noun): Sharp pain along a nerve path.
Collocations
- neural network
- neural pathway
- neural activity
- neural circuit
Example sentences
- "Pain signals travel rapidly along neural pathways to inform the brain of tissue damage." Neuroscience
- "Artificial neural networks mimic human brain connections to process complex pattern data." Artificial Intelligence
Memory hook
NEURAL networks send NEURON messages. Neural = Nerve connections.
When not to use
Do not confuse with general mental thoughts that do not involve biological or computational nerve pathways.
Fun facts
- In modern computer science, 'artificial neural networks' are algorithms modeled directly on electrical signaling in the human brain.
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