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Glite Dictionary
🎛️ A control room 🧠 A control cluster
nerve center

nerve center

1 4.9
A group of special cells that control a body function like breathing
  • noun
  • /nɜrv ˈsɛntər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : centro nervioso
  • The hypothalamus acts as a nerve center for regulating body temperature.

Examples

  • The speech nerve center is typically located in the left hemisphere of the brain.

  • The nerve center controls reflex actions.

  • Damage to the nerve center in the brainstem can affect vital functions like breathing.

  • Is the nerve center responsible for pain processing?

  • The brain acts as the main nerve center for controlling all body movements.

  • The nerve center in the spinal cord regulates reflex actions.

  • Doctors study the nerve center to understand how signals are sent throughout the body.

Synonyms

center
vsnerve center
  • US
93 3.0

The middle part of a group or formation that is most important

is a specific nerve cluster that governs one bodily process rather than any central part
ganglion
vsnerve center
  • Specialized
3 9.1

A small group of nerve cells outside the brain or spinal cord

is found anywhere in the body including the central nervous system and governs functions
nucleus
vsnerve center
  • Specialized
2 6.6

A group of nerve cell bodies in the brain that have a specific job

is a cluster of nerve cells in the body that governs a specific function

How Central

brain
∞ 1.0
brainstem
  • Specialized
6 5.5
nerve center
  • Specialized
1 4.9
ganglion
  • Specialized
3 9.1

Surface Forms

nerve center singular
nerve centers plural

Morphology

nerve + center

The phrase maps a literal biological sense of 'nerve' (part of a nervous system) onto 'center' to create a metaphor for a control hub; learners who know the words can often infer it refers to the main point of control or coordination but must perform a metaphorical transfer. This mapping is not purely compositional (it relies on figurative extension), so it is partially predictable but not fully transparent to a B1 learner without some exposure.

Etymology

Nerve center comes from the image of a small group of nerve cells acting like a tiny control room in the body. Because these cells 'send signals' to other parts, the phrase means the place that controls a body function.