vagus, vagus nerve, nervus vagus, pneumogastric, pneumogastric nerve, tenth cranial nerve, wandering nerve(noun)

a mixed nerve that supplies the pharynx and larynx and lungs and heart and esophagus and stomach and most of the abdominal viscera

vagus nerve(Noun)

Either of the tenth pair of cranial nerves, which extends from the brainstem down into the abdomen. Branches of these important nerves supply the tongue, larynx, lungs, gut, and heart.

Vagus Nerve

The 10th cranial nerve. The vagus is a mixed nerve which contains somatic afferents (from skin in back of the ear and the external auditory meatus), visceral afferents (from the pharynx, larynx, thorax, and abdomen), parasympathetic efferents (to the thorax and abdomen), and efferents to striated muscle (of the larynx and pharynx).