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Glite Dictionary
sacral nerve

sacral nerve

1 5.2
A nerve in the lower back that sends messages to the pelvis and legs
  • noun
  • /ˈseɪkrəl nɜrv/
  • Specialized
translation icon : nervio sacral
  • The sacral nerve plays a crucial role in lower body movement.

Examples

  • After her injury, doctors checked her sacral nerve function to assess movement in her legs.

  • Damage to a sacral nerve can result in loss of bladder control.

  • The sacral nerves carry signals to the muscles and organs of the pelvis.

  • Doctors often examine the sacral nerves for signs of injury.

  • The doctor explained that damage to the sacral nerve can cause issues with mobility.

  • She felt a sharp pain radiating from her lower back, indicating irritation of the sacral nerve.

  • Therapy focused on relieving pressure on the sacral nerve to improve her condition.

Synonyms

spinal nerve
vssacral nerve
  • Specialized
1 4.1

A thin body part that sends messages between the spinal cord and a body area

is a narrower term for those coming from the sacral area only
nervus spinalis
vssacral nerve
  • Specialized
8.2

A nerve from the spinal cord that carries messages to and from the body

is limited to the lower sacral area and usually has five pairs

Surface Forms

sacral nerve singular
sacral nerves plural

Morphology

sacral + nerve

The meaning 'any nerve from the sacral region' is directly and compositionally derived from 'sacral' (pertaining to the sacrum) + 'nerve' (a bundle of nerve fibers). This anatomical adjective+noun pattern is literal and cross-linguistically common (e.g. Spanish 'nervio sacro'), so a learner who knows both constituents will understand the MWE.

Etymology

Sacral nerve comes from the bone at the base of the spine called the sacrum, which people long ago called 'sacred'. The nerves near that bone were named sacral nerves, so sacral nerve means a spinal nerve from the lower spine that sends signals to the pelvis and legs.