senso-, sens-, sensi-, sensori-, sent-

A noninvasive, electronic device used to determine oxygen concentrations: The oxisensor is applied to a readily accessible place on the body, such as the nose, earlobe, toe, or finger, in order to establish the percentage of hemoglobin in the arterial blood, or the red blood cells that primarily transport oxygen from the lungs to the body tissues.

1. Reacting to incident electromagnetic radiation, especially visible, infrared, and ultraviolet light: Huston used photosensitive paper for his experiments which involved exposing plants to various kinds of radiation during his studies in botany.
2. Concerning an abnormally heightened reactivity to sunlight: Some of the plants in the sun room were photosensitive to the sunshine that poured through the windows in the morning.

An abnormal skin reaction to sunlight: Photosensitivity usually results as a skin rash that appears in response to light coming in contact with the skin and it can be caused by substances that have been eaten or something that has been applied to the skin.

A condition in which the skin reacts abnormally to light, especially ultraviolet radiations or sunlight: Photosensitization can be caused by the presence of drugs, hormones, or certain diseases, such as lupus, a chronic inflammatory ailment.

To provide a strong physical reaction to the influence of light, such as an organism, a cell, or skin: Because he wanted a tan, Pedro used a special cream on his arms to photosensitize them.

The process by which the position and movement of the eye is measured by the use of a light sensitive device: Ingrid's doctor had a specialist examine her eyes using a photosensor oculography procedure in order to make a better diagnosis of what was causing her to lose her vision.

The capacity of an organ, or an organism, to respond to multiple stimulations: Sitting quietly by the lake, Sara was aware of her polysensitivity because, as she was enjoying the vision of the sunset and the sound of the loons echoing over the lake, she also felt the zing of a mosquito bite on her arm.

1. Regarding something that is responsive to multiple agents or stimuli: The home alarm system that was installed in Jeremy's house was a polysensory system which responded to light and to movements.
2. Affecting or pertaining to several physical mechanisms of feelings: When examining a patient's nervous system, a physician usually includes polysensory tests of touch, position, pain, and reactions to vibrations as the following examples show:

• Light touch with a piece of cotton when the patient's eyes are closed.
• Pin punctures to test pain sensations at different parts of the patient's body
• Pain pinch by squeezing, with a finger and a thumb, the Achilles tendon at the back of the heel.
• Vibration with a tuning fork held against a prominent bone of the ankle or another bone.
• Position sense when the patient, with eyes closed, says in which direction his or her finger is moved by the physician.
• Two-point discrimination which measures the ability of the patient to distinguish between two sharp pains and a single sharp pain.

1. A sense that something is about to occur; a premonition; a foreboding or feeling that something bad will happen: While she was driving the car on the bumpy country road, Helen had a presentiment that she was going to get a flat tire.
2. An awareness of some event, especially of an unpleasant event, before it takes place and before there is any reason to suspect it or know about it: Mary's cat always seems to have a presentiment that a thunderstorm is approaching and so she finds a place to hide. © ALL rights are reserved.
© ALL rights are reserved.
© ALL rights are reserved.

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A device that detects the presence of an object and sends a signal to another device: Proximity sensors are often used on manufacturing lines to alert robots, or are routing devices on a conveyor belt to forewarn the presence of an object that is approaching.

Concerning an hallucination or mental perception that takes place in the absence of a real, external stimulus, or which is a gross distortion of perceptual input: Those with psychosensorial conditions frequently report that they hear voices of nonexistent or absent people talking to them.

1. Pertaining to the conscious perception of impulses that are felt or experienced: When she was relaxed, Sarina's psychosensory awareness of the stroke of the feather on her arm was pleasant.
2. Relating to an hallucination which, by effort of the mind, is able to understand and to interpret physical stimuli: Walking through a cemetery at midnight challenged the gangs' psychosensory abilities, because one of the members was convinced that he saw a ghost.
3. A reference to an experience, such as one which is imagined but does not originate in actual physical situations: Peter was convinced that he smelled onions cooking and it was hard to convince him that it was just a psychosensory experience because no one was cooking any onions!

The ability to detect prey or objects by scent: The trained dogs exhibited a high degree of rachisensibilities and were sent out to find the lost children.

Responsiveness of the body or its parts to the exposure of radiation: The doctors were pleased with the results of the radiosensibility because the large wart on Marion's elbow had diminished in size.

Relating to the reactions of cells or tissues to energy which is received in waves: There are hazards for some radiosensitive patients, depending on the dose received and the duration of such exposures to X-rays or gamma rays.

Some radiosensitive tissues or organisms are easily affected by or destroyed with a stream of particles including electrons, neutrons, protons, or alpha particles.