Meanings
plural vagus nerves · alternative vagus
- anatomyEither of the tenth pair of cranial nerves which extend from the medulla oblongata down into the abdomen. Branches of these important nerves supply the tongue, larynx, lungs, gut, and heart.
Synonyms: nervus vagus, pneumogastric nerve, tenth cranial nerve, wandering nerve
Synonyms & antonyms
nounEither of the tenth pair of cranial nerves which extend from the medulla oblongata down into the abdomen. Branches of these important nerves supply the tongue, larynx, lungs, gut, and heart.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna mixed nerve that supplies the pharynx and larynx and lungs and heart and esophagus and stomach and most of the abdominal viscera
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Partial calque of New Latin nervus vagus (literally “wandering nerve”).
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic عَصَب مُبْهَم
- عَصَب مُبْهَم (ʕaṣab mubham)tenth cranial nerve
Bulgarian блужда́ещ нерв
- блужда́ещ нерв (bluždáešt nerv)tenth cranial nerve
Catalan nervi vague, nervi pneumogàstric
- nervi vaguetenth cranial nerve
- nervi pneumogàstrictenth cranial nerve
Chinese Cantonese 迷走神經 /迷走神经
- 迷走神經 /迷走神经 (mai⁴ zau² san⁴ ging¹)tenth cranial nerve
Chinese Mandarin 迷走神經 /迷走神经
- 迷走神經 /迷走神经 (mízǒu shénjīng)tenth cranial nerve
Czech bloudivý nerv
- bloudivý nervtenth cranial nerve
Esperanto vago, vaga nervo
- vagotenth cranial nerve
- vaga nervotenth cranial nerve
Finnish kiertäjähermo, vagushermo
- kiertäjähermotenth cranial nerve
- vagushermotenth cranial nerve
French nerf vague
- nerf vaguetenth cranial nerve
German Vagusnerv, Nervus vagus
- Vagusnervtenth cranial nerve
- Nervus vagustenth cranial nerve
- Vagustenth cranial nerve
Greek πνευμονογαστρικό νεύρο
- πνευμονογαστρικό νεύρο (pnevmonogastrikó névro)tenth cranial nerve
Hebrew הֶעָצָב הַתּוֹעֶה, ואגוּס
- הֶעָצָב הַתּוֹעֶה (he-atsav ha-to'eh)tenth cranial nerve
- ואגוּס (vagus)tenth cranial nerve
Hungarian bolygóideg
- bolygóidegtenth cranial nerve
Italian nervo vago
- nervo vagotenth cranial nerve
Japanese 迷走神経
- 迷走神経 (meisōshinkei)tenth cranial nerve
Korean 미주신경
- 미주신경 (mijusin'gyeong)tenth cranial nerve
Latin nervus vagus
- nervus vagustenth cranial nerve
Persian عصب واگ
- عصب واگ ('asab-e vâg)tenth cranial nerve
Polish nerw błędny
- nerw błędnytenth cranial nerve
Portuguese nervo vago
- nervo vagotenth cranial nerve
Romanian nerv vag
- nerv vagtenth cranial nerve
Russian блужда́ющий нерв
- блужда́ющий нерв (bluždájuščij nerv)tenth cranial nerve
Spanish nervio vago
- nervio vagotenth cranial nerve
Tamil நரம்பு
- நரம்பு (narampu)tenth cranial nerve
Thai ประสาทเวกัส, ประสาทสมองเส้นที่ ๑๐
- ประสาทเวกัสtenth cranial nerve
- ประสาทสมองเส้นที่ ๑๐tenth cranial nerve
Turkish vagus siniri
- vagus siniritenth cranial nerve
Ukrainian блука́ючий нерв, блу́дний нерв
- блука́ючий нерв (blukájučyj nerv)tenth cranial nerve
- блу́дний нерв (blúdnyj nerv)tenth cranial nerve
Vietnamese thần kinh lang thang
- thần kinh lang thangtenth cranial nerve
Cite this entry
vagus nerve. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vagus%20nerve
“vagus nerve.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vagus%20nerve. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “vagus nerve,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vagus%20nerve.
Source: vagus nerve on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.