derma
noun
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derma
1 American
[dur-muh]
/ ˈdɜr mə /
noun
derma
2
American
[dur-muh]
/ ˈdɜr mə /
-derma
3
American
derma
1
British
/ ˈdɜːmə /
noun
derma
2
British
/ ˈdɜːmə /
noun
Usage
What does -derma mean? The combining form -derma is used like a suffix representing the derma. The derma, also known as the dermis, is the dense inner layer of skin beneath the epidermis, which is the outermost (and thinner) part of the skin that we can see. The form -derma is specifically used to name skin disorders and is used in many medical terms, especially in pathology. It ultimately comes from the Greek dérma, meaning “skin.”As you may have already guessed, the Greek dérma is the source of the word derma itself. The word derma is sometimes used like a prefix or directly combined with other word forms, as in dermatherm and dermatome. The combining form -derma is closely related to other combining forms dealing with various senses of “skin,” including -derm, -dermatous, -dermis, dermato-, dermat-, dermo-, and derm-. Other variants of dermat- and dermato- are dermo- and derm-. Closely related to dermato- are the combining forms -derm, -derma, -dermatous, and -dermis. Learn more about their specific applications at our Words That Use articles for the forms.
Etymology
Origin of derma1
1825–35; New Latin < Greek dérma skin, equivalent to dér ( ein ) to skin + -ma noun suffix
Origin of derma2
< Yiddish derme, plural of darm intestine < Middle High German; akin to Old English thearm gut
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
