epithelium
[ ep-uh-thee-lee-uh m ]
/ ˌɛp əˈθi li əm /
|
noun, plural ep·i·the·li·ums, ep·i·the·li·a [ep-uh-thee-lee-uh] /ˌɛp əˈθi li ə/. Biology.
any animal tissue that covers a surface, or lines a cavity or the like, and that, in addition, performs any of various secretory, transporting, or regulatory functions.
Nearby words
- epithelioma,
- epithelioma adenoides cysticum,
- epithelioma cuniculatum,
- epitheliomatous,
- epitheliomuscular,
- epithelization,
- epithet,
- epitome,
- epitomise,
- epitomist
Origin of epithelium
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for epithelium
epithelium
/ (ˌɛpɪˈθiːlɪəm) /
noun plural -liums or -lia (-lɪə)
an animal tissue consisting of one or more layers of closely packed cells covering the external and internal surfaces of the body. The cells vary in structure according to their function, which may be protective, secretory, or absorptive
Word Origin for epithelium
C18: New Latin, from epi- + Greek thēlē nipple
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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epithelium
1748, Modern Latin (Frederick Ruysch), from Greek epi "upon" (see epi-) + thele "teat, nipple" (see fecund). Related: Epithelial.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
epithelium
[ ĕp′ə-thē′lē-əm ]
n. pl. ep•i•the•li•a (-lē-ə)
Membranous tissue composed of one or more layers of cells separated by very little intercellular substance and forming the covering of most internal and external surfaces of the body and its organs.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
epithelium
[ ĕp′ə-thē′lē-əm ]
Plural epithelia
The thin, membranous tissue that lines most of the internal and external surfaces of an animal's body. Epithelium is composed of one or more layers of densely packed cells. In vertebrates, it lines the outer layer of the skin (epidermis), the surface of most body cavities, and the lumen of fluid-filled organs, such as the gut or intestine.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.