dura mater

[door-uh mey-ter]

noun

Anatomy.

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

dura mater

/ 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

dura mater

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of dura mater¹

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. )

Word History and Origins

Origin of dura mater¹

C15: from Medieval Latin, hard mother