This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
epithelium
[ ep-uh-thee-lee-uhm ]
/ ˌɛp əˈθi li əm /
Save This Word!
This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
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.
QUIZ
ARE YOU A TRUE BLUE CHAMPION OF THESE "BLUE" SYNONYMS?
We could talk until we're blue in the face about this quiz on words for the color "blue," but we think you should take the quiz and find out if you're a whiz at these colorful terms.
Question 1 of 8
Which of the following words describes “sky blue”?
Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing
OTHER WORDS FROM epithelium
Words nearby epithelium
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
How to use epithelium in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions 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
Derived forms of epithelium
epithelial, adjectiveWord 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
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Medical definitions for epithelium
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.
Other words from epithelium
ep′i•the′li•al adj.The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Scientific definitions for epithelium
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.
Other words from epithelium
epithelial adjectiveThe American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.