lesser petrosal nerve

lesser petrosal nerve (plural lesser petrosal nerves)

1. (neuroanatomy) The continuation of the tympanic nerve beyond the inferior ganglion of the glossopharyngeal nerve that passes into the cranial cavity through the petrous part of the temporal bone and out again to terminate in the otic ganglion which it supplies with preganglionic parasympathetic fibers.

   Coordinate terms: deep petrosal nerve, greater petrosal nerve

• “lesser petrosal nerve”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.