Efferent
/ˈɛf.ər.ənt/noun
Carrying something outward, especially nerve impulses or blood away from a center.
Did you know?Efferent comes from Latin efferre, and its opposite, afferent, means “carry toward,” so the body’s wiring was named with directional Latin long before modern science.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bher-
“to carry, bear”
Latin
Latin
ferre
“to carry, bear”
Latin
Latin
efferre
“to carry out, bring forth”
Late Latin
Latin
efferent-
“carrying out”
19th Century
English
efferent
“carrying outward, especially away from a central organ or point”
Modern English
English
efferent
“carrying something outward, especially nerve impulses or blood away from a center”