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epidermis

[ ep-i-dur-mis ]
/ ˌɛp ɪˈdɜr mɪs /
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See synonyms for epidermis on Thesaurus.com
noun
Anatomy. the outer, nonvascular, nonsensitive layer of the skin, covering the true skin or corium.
Zoology. the outermost living layer of an animal, usually composed of one or more layers of cells.
Botany. a thin layer of cells forming the outer integument of seed plants and ferns.
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Origin of epidermis

1620–30; <Late Latin: surface skin <Greek epidermís upper skin. See epi-, derma1

OTHER WORDS FROM epidermis

ep·i·der·mal, ep·i·der·mic, adjectiveep·i·der·mi·cal·ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to epidermis

fur, leather, skin, wool, bark, coating, crust, husk, jacket, membrane, rind, sheath, surface, ectoderm, felt, fleece, hide, integument, pelage, pellicle

How to use epidermis in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for epidermis

epidermis
/ (ˌɛpɪˈdɜːmɪs) /
noun
Also called: cuticle the thin protective outer layer of the skin, composed of stratified epithelial tissue
the outer layer of cells of an invertebrate
the outer protective layer of cells of a plant, which may be thickened by a cuticle

Derived forms of epidermis

epidermal, epidermic or epidermoid, adjective

Word Origin for epidermis

C17: via Late Latin from Greek, from epi- + derma skin
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 epidermis

epidermis
[ ĕp′ĭ-dûr′mĭs ]
The protective outer layer of the skin. In invertebrate animals, the epidermis is made up of a single layer of cells. In vertebrates, it is made up of many layers of cells and overlies the dermis. Hair and feathers grow from the epidermis.
The outer layer of cells of the stems, roots, and leaves of plants. In most plants, the epidermis is a single layer of cells set close together to protect the plant from water loss, invasion by fungi, and physical damage. The epidermis that is exposed to air is covered with a protective substance called cuticle. See more at photosynthesis.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for epidermis

epidermis
[ (ep-uh-dur-mis) ]

The outside layers of the skin.

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.
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