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parasympathetic definition

para·sym·pa·thetic (par′ə sim′pə t̸het′ik)

adjective

Physiol. designating or of that part of the autonomic nervous system whose nerves originate in the midbrain, the hindbrain, and the sacral region of the spinal cord and whose functions include the constriction of the pupils of the eyes, the slowing of the heartbeat, and the stimulation of certain digestive glands: these nerves oppose the sympathetic nerves in the regulation of many body processes

Etymology: para- + sympathetic

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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