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Glite Dictionary
somatosensory system

somatosensory system

6.9
Part of the body that sends signals to the brain about touch, temperature, pain, and body position
  • noun
  • /ˌsoʊməˈtoʊsɛnˌsɔri ˈsɪstəm/
  • Specialized
translation icon : sistema somatosensorial
  • And since it underpins so many bodily functions, damage to the somatosensory system can manifest in a wide variety of ways.

Examples

  • The the input from the somatosensory system and from the joints can support some writing.

  • I saw Bennett working on a somatosensory system override.

    Puppets (2017)

  • Because the vestibular system senses head motion, it is less sensitive to body sway than the visual or the somatosensory system.

    Academic text (1999)

  • Biological limitations and potentials of the human body are recognized as analytical parameters that can be identified and established through analysis of the somatosensory system.

    Academic text (2017)

  • The somatosensory system acts as the control center of thermoception (sense of heat), nociception (sense of pain), chronoception (sense of time), and proprioception (sense of body awareness).

    Academic text (2017)

  • The somatosensory system processes touch signals, allowing you to feel the texture of the fabric.

  • When you touch something hot, the somatosensory system quickly sends pain signals to your brain.

  • Understanding how the somatosensory system functions helps researchers develop better treatments for sensory disorders.

Synonyms

somatic sensory system
vssomatosensory system
  • Specialized
7.4

The body system that senses touch, temperature, pain, and feelings from inside the body

is the nervous structure responsible for processing those same body sensory signals
somesthesis
vssomatosensory system
  • Specialized
9.9

The feelings your body gets from skin, muscles, joints, and organs like touch, temperature, pain, and body position

emphasizes the broader neural processing role rather than the sensing faculty
somesthesia
vssomatosensory system
  • Specialized
9.9

The sense of feeling touch, temperature, pain, and body position

focuses on the neural network that processes those abilities within the body
somataesthesis
vssomatosensory system
  • Specialized
9.9

To feel touch, know where your body parts are, and notice feelings inside your body

covers the neural processes that handle these bodily perceptions broadly
somatesthesia
vssomatosensory system
  • Specialized
9.9

The ability to feel touch, body position, and feelings inside the body

refers to the nervous mechanism that processes those perception abilities

Surface Forms

somatosensory system singular
somatosensory systems plural

Morphology

somatosensory + system

Given the constituents, the meaning is directly compositional: 'somatosensory' means pertaining to bodily sensations (touch, pain) and 'system' means an ensemble of parts, so a learner who knows both can infer this refers to the bodily sensory processing system. Although the term is technical, its internal logic is transparent and mirrors cross-linguistic patterns for naming physiological systems, so it should be understandable to a B1 learner who knows the constituent words.

Etymology

The noun somatosensory system comes from parts: somato means 'body' and sensory means 'sensing'. Think of it as a network of sensors on your skin, muscles and joints that send messages to the brain about touch, temperature and pain, so the name means the system that helps the brain understand body sensations.