accessory nerve: Meaning and Definition of

acces'sory nerve"

Pronunciation: [key]
— Anat. Anat.
  1. either one of the eleventh pair of cranial nerves, consisting of motor fibers from the spinal cord that innervate the pharyngeal, trapezius, and sternocleidomastoid muscles, and motor fibers from the brain that join the vagus to innervate the thoracic and abdominal viscera. Also called
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.