A sensory receptor or nerve ending that responds to stimuli from outside the body, such as touch, light, sound, smell, or taste receptors.
From extero- (Latin externus, 'external') + -receptor (Latin recipere, 'to receive'). Developed in early 20th-century neuroscience by C.S. Sherrington to classify sensory systems.
Exteroceptors are literally your window to the world—your retinas, ear drums, taste buds, and touch receptors are constantly sampling the external environment, but they're also constantly deceived by optical illusions and other sensory tricks.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.