receptor

receptor — noun

1. a nerve ending or sensory cell found inside the body. It detects physical change

1.nounB2
Definition

a nerve ending or sensory cell found inside the body. It detects physical changes — such as temperature, pressure, or pain — and turns them into nerve signals that travel to the brain or spinal cord.

Example

Pain receptors in Camille's skin warned her brain when she touched the hot pan.

collocation: pain receptors

The olfactory receptors inside Sumin's nose let him smell bread from the bakery.

collocation: olfactory receptors + in [body part]

Common collocations
  • pain receptors
  • touch receptors
  • temperature receptors
  • light receptors
  • olfactory receptors
  • receptors in the skin
  • receptors in the nose
Synonyms
  • sense organ

    Broader — refers to a complete structure (e.g., eye, ear) that contains many receptors.

  • nerve ending

    Narrower focus on the physical end of a nerve fiber where detection occurs.

  • sensory cell

    Emphasizes the cellular nature rather than the nerve structure.

Grammar Patterns

receptor + in [body part]

receptor + for [stimulus type]

Usage Note

Frequently paired with a sense-related adjective that names the type of stimulus (pain, touch, temperature, light, olfactory). The preposition in usually follows, specifying the body part where the receptor is located.

Common Mistakes

The eye is a receptor for light.
The eye contains receptors for light.
the eye is a sense organ that holds many receptors, not a receptor itself.

2. any of several protein molecules located at the surface or inside a cell. They l

2.nounC1
Definition

any of several protein molecules located at the surface or inside a cell. They link up with a specific chemical — such as a hormone, a neurotransmitter, or an antigen — and trigger a particular response from the cell.

Example

Insulin receptors on fat cells help the body absorb blood sugar after a meal.

collocation: insulin receptors

Certain cancer treatments work by blocking the receptors that signal tumors to grow.

receptor + verb: block / signal

Common collocations
  • hormone receptors
  • insulin receptors
  • dopamine receptors
  • cell-surface receptors
  • receptor protein
  • receptor binding
  • block receptors
  • bind to receptors
Synonyms
  • binding site

    More general — can refer to any part of a molecule where a chemical attaches.

  • cell-surface protein

    Descriptive but narrower — specifically names the location on the cell membrane.

Grammar Patterns

[substance] receptor

receptor + for [substance]

receptor + on [cell type]

Usage Note

Typically appears with a specific substance name before it (e.g., insulin receptor, dopamine receptor, estrogen receptor). Common in medical and biochemistry writing. The verb pair bind to or attach to is used to describe how a substance connects with a receptor.

Common Mistakes

The insulin receptor receives the hormone insulin.
The insulin receptor binds to the hormone insulin.
a receptor does not 'receive' in the everyday sense; it chemically binds to the substance.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

A receptor is the smallest functional unit that detects a specific stimulus — it can be a single nerve ending or a specialized cell. A sense organ (such as the eye or ear) is a larger anatomical structure made up of many receptors plus supporting tissues that together detect a whole class of stimuli. A nerve ending is narrower still: it refers specifically to the exposed tip of a sensory neuron where detection physically happens. Sensor is the most general term, used for both biological structures and man-made devices. For example, the retina contains light receptors, but the eye as a whole is the sense organ for vision; a nerve ending might be a pain receptor in your fingertip, while a smoke alarm is a sensor, not a biological receptor.

receptor ↗sense organnerve endingsensor ↗

Common collocations

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinScientific LatinEnglish

Borrowed from Latin receptor, meaning 'receiver.' It comes from the verb recipere ('to receive'), which is formed from re- ('back') + capere ('to take'). The word entered English through scientific Latin in the 17th century, initially used for any structure that receives signals or stimuli.