afterpotential

A1F4T1E1R1P3O1T1E1N1T1I1A1L1

noun

A small, transitory electrical potential that follows, and is dependent upon the main potential produced when a nerve is stimulated; seen as a small positive or negative spike on an oscillograph output.

OriginEnglish potential ← Late Latin potentialis ← Middle English after- →
Scrabble 19
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

nounafterpotential (plural afterpotentials)

plural afterpotentials

  1. A small, transitory electrical potential that follows, and is dependent upon the main potential produced when a nerve is stimulated; seen as a small positive or negative spike on an oscillograph output.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₂ep
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₂epó
  3. Proto-Indo-European*h₂ep(o)teros
  4. Proto-Germanic*after
  5. Old Englishæfter
  6. Middle Englishafter
  7. Englishafter
  8. Old Englishæfter
  9. Old Englishæfter-
  10. Middle Englishafter-
  11. Englishafter-
  12. Late Latinpotentialis
  13. Englishpotential
  14. Englishafterpotential

From after- + potential.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

afterpotential. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/afterpotential

MLA

“afterpotential.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/afterpotential. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “afterpotential,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/afterpotential.

Source: afterpotential on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.