abducent nerve

7.7

A nerve that controls the muscle that moves the eye outward

noun
/æbˈdjuːsənt nɜrv/

Specialized

: nervio abducens

Damage to the abducent nerve may result in strabismus, causing misalignment of the eyes.

Examples

Six months later, he developed diplopia with a left abducent nerve paralysis, and recurrent disease was found within the left cavernous sinus (Figure 1).

Academic text (2002)
They usually experience persistent headaches (usually frontal) and early abducent nerve paralysis caused by apical involvement and extension into Dorello's canal.

Academic text (2007)
The doctor explained that a dysfunction in the abducent nerve could lead to difficulty moving the eye outward.
After the injury, the patient experienced weakness in the lateral movement of the eye, indicating a problem with the abducent nerve.

Synonyms

abducens nerve

vsabducent nerve

Specialized

7.8

A nerve that moves the eye outward so you can look to the side

is an alternative English label used for that same motor nerve

abducens

vsabducent nerve

Specialized

9.9

A nerve that helps move the eye outward by controlling the muscle on the side of the eye

uses a more descriptive phrase instead of the concise medical label

abducent

vsabducent nerve

Specialized

9.9

The sixth nerve in the head that makes the eye move outward

is the fuller phrase naming the same motor nerve rather than the short form

nervus abducens

vsabducent nerve

Specialized

9.9

A small nerve that controls the muscle moving the eye outward

is the English equivalent, not the Latin terminology

sixth cranial nerve

vsabducent nerve

Specialized

7.0

A part of the body that controls an eye muscle to move the eye outward

refers instead by its muscle control and outward eye movement

Surface Forms

abducent nerve singular

abducent nerves plural

Morphology

abducent + nerve

The compound is directly compositional: 'abducent' (moving the eye laterally) combined with 'nerve' (a bundle of fibers) yields ‘the nerve that moves the eye outward.’ Although medically technical, the meaning follows straightforward morphology, so a learner who knows both constituents would understand it.

Etymology

Abducent nerve comes from a Latin word meaning 'to lead away' and the parts abducent and nerve give the picture of a nerve pulling the eye away from the nose. That's why abducent nerve means 'the nerve that moves the eye outward'.