1. the tenth cranial nerve that controls various involuntary bodily functions including heart rate, digestion, and breathing
Usage: medical; anatomy

1. wandering or straying from a fixed course
Usage: rare; literary

Examples

• The vagus nerve plays a crucial role in the parasympathetic nervous system.
• Damage to the vagus can affect digestion and heart rhythm.
• Deep breathing exercises can stimulate the vagus nerve.
• The surgeon carefully avoided the vagus during the procedure.
• Vagus nerve stimulation is used to treat certain types of epilepsy.
• The vagus connects the brain to many organs in the body.