dura mater

American  

[door-uh mey-ter] / ˈdʊər ə ˈmeɪ tər /

noun

Anatomy.

1. the tough, fibrous membrane forming the outermost of the three coverings of the brain and spinal cord.

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dura mater British  

/ ˈdjʊərə ˈmeɪtə /

noun

1. Often shortened to: dura.  the outermost and toughest of the three membranes covering the brain and spinal cord See also meninges

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dura mater Scientific  

/ dr′əmā′tər,mä′- /

1. The tough fibrous membrane covering the brain and the spinal cord and lining the inner surface of the skull. It is the outermost of the three membranes (meninges) that surround the central nervous system, overlying the arachnoid and pia mater.

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Etymology

Origin of dura mater

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Medieval Latin: literally, “hard mother,” loan translation of Arabic umm al-dimāgh al-ṣafīcah, Arabic umm “mother” also serving as an indicator of relationship between things; pia mater ( def. )

Example Sentences

Upon exiting the brain, contaminated fluid must pass through a barrier before spilling into the lymphatic vessels in the dura mater -- the outer tissue layer enveloping the brain underneath the skull.

From Science Daily • Feb. 28, 2024

I then punctured the dura mater, the covering of the brain.

From Washington Post • Jul. 31, 2020

Battlefield surgeons also treated head wounds by cutting away bone while trying not to puncture the brain’s delicate dura mater membrane.

From Science Magazine • Jun. 8, 2018

A further 228 cases of CJD were caused by transplantation of prion-contaminated dura mater — the membrane surrounding the brain and spinal cord — prepared from cadavers around the world.

From Nature • Mar. 15, 2016

“I’m going to cut through the dura mater now. I want you to see something else.”

From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson