[TA] ninth cranial nerve, which emerges from the rostral end of the medulla, through the retroolivary groove, and passes through the jugular foramen to supply sensation (including taste) to the pharynx and posterior third of the tongue; it also carries somatic motor fibers to the stylopharyngeus muscle and secretomotor presynaptic parasympathetic fibers to the otic ganglion for innervation of the parotid gland. SYN: nervus glossopharyngeus [CN IX] [TA], ninth cranial nerve [CN IX].
