pain-detecting
|pain-de-tect-ing|
/ˈpeɪn dɪˌtɛktɪŋ/
(pain-detect)
able to sense pain
Etymology
'pain-detecting' is a compound word formed from 'pain' and 'detecting.' 'Pain' comes from Latin 'poena' meaning 'penalty, punishment,' and 'detecting' is the present participle of 'detect,' from Latin 'detegere' meaning 'to uncover.'
'Pain' entered English from Old French 'paine,' and 'detect' from Latin 'detegere' via Old French 'detecter.' The compound 'pain-detecting' is a modern English formation.
Initially, 'pain' referred to punishment or suffering, and 'detecting' meant uncovering or discovering. Together, 'pain-detecting' now refers to the ability to sense or identify pain.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
describing something (such as a cell, nerve, or device) that is able to sense or detect pain.
The pain-detecting nerves send signals to the brain.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/07/27 09:19