noun · verb · 4 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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/ˈsɪnæps/
/ˈsaɪnæps/
/sɪˈnæps/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -æps
CMU ARPABET:S IH1 AE0 P S
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The junction between the terminal of a neuron and either another neuron or a muscle or gland cell, over which nerve impulses pass.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
verb
Meaning 2
To form a synapse.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
To undergo synapsis.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
the junction between two neurons (axon-to-dendrite) or between a neuron and a muscle
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
nerve impulses cross a synapse through the action of neurotransmitters
Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek σύναψις (súnapsis, “conjunction”), from συνάπτω (sunáptō, “to clasp”). Introduced by neurophysiologist Charles Scott Sherrington.
Across languages
Translations
38 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
مشبك
— junction between neurons
Bulgarian:
синапс
(sinaps)
— junction between neurons
Catalan:
sinapsi
— junction between neurons
Chinese Mandarin:
突觸 /突触
(tūchù)
— junction between neurons
Czech:
synapse
— junction between neurons
Danish:
synapse
— junction between neurons
Dutch:
synaps
— junction between neurons
Finnish:
synapsi
— junction between neurons
Finnish:
hermoliitos
— junction between neurons
French:
synapse
— junction between neurons
German:
Synapse
— junction between neurons
Greek:
σύναψη
(sýnapsi)
— junction between neurons
Hebrew:
סינפסה
(sinapsa)
— junction between neurons
Hebrew:
מִסְנָף
(misnaf)
— junction between neurons
Hebrew:
מצמד
(mitsmād)
— junction between neurons
Indonesian:
sinapsis
— junction between neurons
Italian:
sinapsi
— junction between neurons
Japanese:
シナプス
(shinapusu)
— junction between neurons
Northern Kurdish:
gehînkeya demarî
— junction between neurons
Malay:
sinaps
— junction between neurons
Persian:
سیناپس
(sinâps)
— junction between neurons
Persian:
همایه
(hamâye)
— junction between neurons
Polish:
synapsa
— junction between neurons
Portuguese:
sinapse
— junction between neurons
Romanian:
sinapsă
— junction between neurons
Russian:
си́напс
(sínaps)
— junction between neurons
Serbo-Croatian:
sinapsa
— junction between neurons
Slovak:
synapsia
— junction between neurons
Spanish:
sinapsis
— junction between neurons
Swahili:
sinapsi
— junction between neurons
Swedish:
synaps
— junction between neurons
Turkish:
sinaps
— junction between neurons
Ukrainian:
си́напс
(sýnaps)
— junction between neurons
