Synapse
/ˈsɪn.æps/noun
A junction between two nerve cells or between a nerve cell and another cell where signals are transmitted.
Did you know?The modern biological sense was introduced in the late 19th century, when scientists adapted an ancient Greek word for a connection or junction.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sem-
“Together; one and the same”
Ancient Greek
Greek
σύν (sýn)
“Together; with”
Ancient Greek
Greek
συνάπτειν (synáptein)
“To join together or fasten”
Ancient Greek
Greek
σύναψις (sýnapsis)
“A joining, connection, or junction”
Late 19th Century
English
synapse
“A junction between nerve cells, a sense introduced in modern physiology”
Modern English
English
synapse
“A cellular junction through which nervous signals are transmitted”