dermatome

[ dur-muh-tohm ]

noun

1. Anatomy. an area of skin that is supplied with the nerve fibers of a single, posterior, spinal root.
2. Surgery. a mechanical instrument for cutting thin sections of skin for grafting.
3. Embryology. the part of a mesodermal somite contributing to the development of the dermis.

dermatome

/ ˈdɜːməˌtəʊm; ˌdɜːməˈtɒmɪk /

noun

1. a surgical instrument for cutting thin slices of skin, esp for grafting
2. the area of skin supplied by nerve fibres from a single posterior spinal root
3. embryol the part of a somite in a vertebrate embryo that gives rise to the dermis

Derived Forms

• dermatomic, adjective

Other Words From

• der·ma·tom·ic [dur-m, uh, -, tom, -ik], derma·tomal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of dermatome¹

First recorded in 1925–30; derma ¹ + -tome