chorion

[ kawr-ee-on, kohr- ]

/ ˈkɔr iˌɒn, ˈkoʊr- /

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noun

Embryology. the outermost of the extraembryonic membranes of land vertebrates, contributing to the formation of the placenta in the placental mammals.

Zoology. the membrane around the eggs of certain insects, secreted by cells of the ovary.

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Origin of chorion

1535–45; <New Latin <Greek chórion membrane enclosing the fetus

OTHER WORDS FROM chorion

cho·ri·on·ic, cho·ri·al, adjectivesub·cho·ri·on·ic, adjective

Words nearby chorion

chorio-, chorioallantois, choriocarcinoma, chorioid, chorioma, chorion, chorionic gonadotrophin, chorionic gonadotropin, chorionic villus, chorionic villus sampling, choripetalous

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use chorion in a sentence

The first thing that is formed is the amnios; the next the chorion; and they enwrap the seed round like a curtain.
The Works of Aristotle the Famous Philosopher|Anonymous
The whole being surrounded by two membranous coverings, the outer one called the chorion, and the inner one the amnion.
The Matron's Manual of Midwifery, and the Diseases of Women During Pregnancy and in Childbed|Frederick Hollick
Twins coming from one egg have the same chorion and can thereby be diagnosed as such.
The Organism as a Whole|Jacques Loeb
It also sometimes brings away part of the amnios, and even the chorion, upon its head like a cap.
Buffon's Natural History, Volume III (of 10)|Georges Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon

The surface of the chorion is covered evenly with minute villi, constituting a diffuse non-deciduate placenta.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 6|Various

British Dictionary definitions for chorion

chorion

/ (ˈkɔːrɪən) /

noun

the outer of two membranes that form a sac around the embryonic reptile, bird, or mammal: contributes to the placenta in mammalsSee also amnion

Derived forms of chorion

chorionic or chorial, adjective

Word Origin for chorion

C16: from Greek khorion afterbirth

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

Scientific definitions for chorion

chorion

[ kôr′ē-ŏn′ ]

The outer membrane that encloses the embryo of a reptile, bird, or mammal. In mammals, the chorion contributes to the development of the placenta.