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bursa

[bur-suh]
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noun, plural bur·sae [bur-see] /ˈbɜr si/, bur·sas.
  1. Anatomy, Zoology. a pouch, sac, or vesicle, especially a sac containing synovia, to facilitate motion, as between a tendon and a bone.
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Origin of bursa

1795–1805; < New Latin, Late Latin bursa a bag, pouch, purse < Greek býrsa a skin, hide
Related formsbur·sal, adjectivebur·sate [bur-seyt] /ˈbɜr seɪt/, adjectivepost·bur·sal, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

pocketbook, pocket, wallet, bag, handbag, pouch, cyst, crater, poke, hide, leather, clutch, frame, sack, receptacle, bursa, carryall, lizard, moneybag, billfold

Examples from the Web for bursae

Historical Examples

  • In a general way, inflammation and other affections of bursae and thecae are considered very similar to like affections of joints.

    Lameness of the Horse

    John Victor Lacroix

  • Wounds of bursae should be thoroughly disinfected and drained; they usually heal with obliteration of the sac.

  • The bursae most commonly involved are the prepatellar and that over the metatarsal joint of the great toe.

  • Hernial protrusion of a portion of a bursa is sometimes seen after injuries of bursae.

British Dictionary definitions for bursae

bursa

noun plural -sae (-siː) or -sas
  1. a small fluid-filled sac that reduces friction between movable parts of the body, esp at joints
  2. zoology any saclike cavity or structure
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Derived Formsbursal, adjective

Word Origin

C19: from Medieval Latin: bag, pouch, from Greek: skin, hide; see purse

Bursa

noun
  1. a city in NW Turkey: founded in the 2nd century bc; seat of Bithynian kings. Pop: 1 413 000 (2005 est)Former name: Brusa
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for bursae

bursa

n.

by 1788 as an English word in physiology, shortened from medieval Latin bursa mucosa "mucus pouch," from Medieval Latin bursa "bag, purse," from Late Latin bursa, variant of byrsa "hide," from Greek byrsa "hide, skin, wineskin, drum," of unknown origin; cf. purse (n.).

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
bursae in Medicine

bursa

(bûr′sə)
n. pl. bur•sas
  1. A sac or saclike bodily cavity, especially one containing a viscous lubricating fluid and located between a tendon and a bone or at points of friction between moving structures.
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Related formsbur′sal adj.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
bursae in Science

bursa

[bûr′sə]
Plural bursae (bûr′sē) bursas
  1. A flattened sac containing a lubricating fluid that reduces friction between two moving structures in the body, as a tendon and a bone.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
bursae in Culture

bursa

[(bur-suh)]

A fluid-filled sac or cavity that reduces friction between the bones, ligaments, and tendons in the body's joints.

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The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.