Phrase guide

glossopharyngeal nerve

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

Either of the ninth pair of cranial nerves which are mixed nerves that exit the brainstem from the sides of the upper medulla oblongata, carry afferent sensory and efferent motor information, and supply the pharynx, posterior tongue, and parotid gland.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: anatomy, medicine, neuroanatomy, neurology, neuroscience, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: ninth cranial nerve

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

sensory nerve to the pharynx and back of the tongue; motor fibers innervate muscles that elevate the pharynx and larynx; includes parasympathetic fibers to the otic ganglion

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: nervus glossopharyngeus, ninth cranial nerve

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: cranial nerve

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

6 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 舌咽神經 /舌咽神经 (shéyān shénjīng) — the ninth cranial nerve
  • Czech: jazykohltanový nerv — the ninth cranial nerve
  • Finnish: kieli-kitahermo — the ninth cranial nerve
  • Hungarian: nyelv-garat ideg — the ninth cranial nerve
  • Japanese: 舌咽神経 (zetsuin-shinkei) — the ninth cranial nerve
  • Polish: nerw językowo-gardłowy — the ninth cranial nerve