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Glite Dictionary
🪥 A pressing tool 🧠 A lowering nerve 💪 A lowering muscle
depressor

depressor

1 8.5
A nerve that reduces the activity or tightness of a body part
  • noun
  • /dɪˈprɛsər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : nervio depresor
  • I cleared my throat and said solemnly, "It's a roaring water tongue depressor." "Yes, that would make sense."

Examples

  • The other was a spring depressor.

    Academic text (2002)

  • The doctor used a depressor to examine the patient's throat.

  • Get a depressor.

    Virtuosity (1995)

  • During the exam, the nurse handed me a wooden depressor to hold down my tongue.

  • The health professional applied a depressor to get a better view of my throat.

Synonyms

depressor nerve
vsdepressor
  • Specialized
7.9

A body nerve that sends messages to make a muscle or organ relax

means the same but uses the word activity rather than action

Antonyms

stimulator
  • Specialized
13 5.3

A device that makes a body part or system more active

Compounds

tongue depressor
  • Specialized
4 4.0

A thin flat stick doctors press on the tongue to check the mouth and throat

depressor muscle
  • Specialized
6.2

A muscle that pulls a part of the body down

depressor nerve
  • Specialized
7.9

A body nerve that sends messages to make a muscle or organ relax

Surface Forms

depressor singular
depressors plural

Morphology

depressor = depress (transparent) = depress + or

Formed by the verb 'depress' plus the agent/instrument suffix '-or'; the meaning 'one that depresses/presses down' is directly derived.

Etymology

Depressor comes from the parts de- 'down' and the same root as press 'to push'. So a depressor nerve is one that 'pushes down' activity, meaning it lowers muscle tone or reduces how active a body part is.