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Synonyms

hyaline

American  
[hahy-uh-leen, -lin, hahy-uh-lin, -lahyn] / ˈhaɪ əˌlin, -lɪn, ˈhaɪ ə lɪn, -ˌlaɪn /

noun

  1. Biochemistry. Also hyalin

    1. a horny substance found in hydatid cysts, closely resembling chitin.

    2. a structureless, transparent substance found in cartilage, the eye, etc., resulting from the pathological degeneration of tissue.

  2. something glassy or transparent.


adjective

  1. of or relating to hyaline.

  2. glassy or transparent.

  3. of or relating to glass.

  4. amorphous; not crystalline.

hyaline British  
/ ˈhaɪəlɪn /

adjective

  1. biology clear and translucent, with no fibres or granules

  2. archaic transparent

"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

noun

  1. archaic a glassy transparent surface

"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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of hyaline

1655–65; < Late Latin hyalinus < Greek hyálinos of glass. See hyal-, -ine 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Additional testing showed the regenerated tissue was hyaline cartilage, the type needed for healthy joint function, rather than the less effective fibrocartilage.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 12, 2026

Additional tests confirmed that the regenerated tissue was hyaline cartilage rather than the less functional fibrocartilage.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 20, 2026

A third population, which did not produce 15-PGDH and instead expressed genes tied to hyaline cartilage formation and maintenance of the extracellular matrix, rose from 22% to 42%.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 20, 2026

A cartilage with few collagen and elastic fibers is hyaline cartilage, illustrated in Figure 24.14.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 9, 2022

Crisis occurred on the fifth day, temperature falling 9°, sweating copious, urine 473 ccm. in twenty-four hours, color of porter, highly albuminous, and depositing blood, renal epithelium, hyaline, granular and epithelial casts, all stained reddish.

From A System of Practical Medicine by American Authors, Vol. I Volume 1: Pathology and General Diseases by Various

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