dermis

¹ American  

[dur-mis] / ˈdɜr mɪs /

noun

1. Anatomy, Zoology. the dense inner layer of skin beneath the epidermis, composed of connective tissue, blood and lymph vessels, sweat glands, hair follicles, and an elaborate sensory nerve network.

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-dermis ² American  

1. a combining form meaning “skin,” “layer of tissue,” used in the formation of compound words.

   exodermis; gastrodermis.

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dermis British  

/ ˈdɜːmɪs /

noun

1. another name for corium

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dermis Scientific  

/ dûr′mĭs /

1. The innermost layer of the skin in vertebrate animals. The dermis lies under the epidermis and contains nerve endings and blood and lymph vessels. In mammals, the dermis also contains hair follicles and sweat glands.

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Usage

What does -dermis mean? The combining form -dermis is used like a suffix meaning "skin" or "layer of tissue." It is used in a number of scientific terms, especially in botany and zoology.This form is directly based on epidermis, the thin outer layer of the skin, from the Greek epidermís, “surface skin” (more on this word in the next section below).The word dermis was extracted from epidermis and refers to the dense inner layer of skin. All of these words ultimately come from the Greek dérma, meaning “skin.”The Greek dérma also helps form the word taxidermy. Discover more about its roots in our entry for the word.Closely related to -dermis are the combining forms -derm, -derma, -dermatous, dermat-, dermato-, derm-, and dermo-. Learn their specific applications in our Words That Use articles for these forms.

Other Word Forms

• dermic adjective

Etymology

Origin of dermis¹

1820–30; < New Latin; abstracted from epidermis

Origin of -dermis¹

On the model of epidermis; dermis

Compare meaning

How does dermis compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• dermis vs. epidermis

Example Sentences

"The collagen will just sit on the outer layer of your skin, it won't reach the dermis - which is the middle layer."

From BBC

In argyria, silver ions circulate through the bloodstream and become embedded in the dermis, a layer beneath the surface where the body cannot easily clear them.

From Salon

Split-thickness grafts that contain mostly epidermis with only some of dermis can be used to cover larger areas, but they do not include features like hair and sweat glands, and are more prone to shrinkage and scarring.

From Science Daily

They achieved both the hypodermis and dermis layers, with the epidermis forming within two weeks by itself.

From Science Daily

As the skin undergoes photoaging, type I collagen bundles, which are found in the dermis beneath the top layer of the skin and provide strength and support to skin, become fragmented.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• bark
• coating
• crust
• fur
• husk
• jacket
• membrane
• rind
• sheath
• surface