# Ganglion cyst: etymology

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ganglion-cyst-etymology/286052>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 22, 2005, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ganglion-cyst-etymology/286052 "2005-01-22T05:54:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![bitwise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@bitwise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bitwise)\
**Post date:** [January 22, 2005, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ganglion-cyst-etymology/286052/1 "2005-01-22T05:54:47Z")

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Defintion of **ganglion** from [http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=ganglion:](http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=ganglion:)

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>
> 1. Anatomy. A group of nerve cells forming a nerve center, especially one located outside the brain or spinal cord.  
> 2. A center of power, activity, or energy.  
> 3. Pathology. A benign cystic lesion resembling a tumor, occurring in a tendon sheath or joint capsule.
> 
> [From Greek, cystlike tumor, nerve bundle.]

A fluid-filled sac protruding from a tendon sheath has little to do with a bunch of nerves, so why are they called the same thing? What is the etymology of “ganglion”? The dictionary wasn’t much help.

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**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\
**Post date:** [January 22, 2005, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ganglion-cyst-etymology/286052/2 "2005-01-22T06:38:31Z")

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Oxford English Dictionary:

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> a. Gr. _ganglion_ a tumour under the skin, on or near tendons or sinews; used by Galen to denote the complex nerve-centres, and now chiefly employed in that sense.

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**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\
**Post date:** [January 22, 2005, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ganglion-cyst-etymology/286052/3 "2005-01-22T06:45:14Z")

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A ganglion is a knot-like bundle, whether of nervous or cystic tissue.