mediastinum

[ mee-dee-a-stahy-nuhm ]

/ ˌmi di æˈstaɪ nəm /

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noun, plural me·di·as·ti·na

[mee-dee-a-stahy-nuh]. /ˌmi di æˈstaɪ nə/. Anatomy.

a median septum or partition between two parts of an organ, or paired cavities of the body.

the partition separating the right and left thoracic cavities, formed of the two inner pleural walls, and, in humans, comprising all the viscera of the thorax except the lungs.

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Origin of mediastinum

1535–45; <New Latin; compare mediastīnus of middle class, apparently identical with Latin mediast(r)īnus a low-ranking slave, perhaps derivative of mediusmid¹, though sense and formation unclear

OTHER WORDS FROM mediastinum

me·di·as·ti·nal, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use mediastinum in a sentence

There was a mediastinal wound in connection with the bullet hole in the throat.
Jimmy Breslin on JFK’s Assassination: Two Classic Columns|Jimmy Breslin|November 22, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Observe the condition of the anterior mediastinal glands, the thymus and the lungs.
The Elements of Bacteriological Technique|John William Henry Eyre
Mediastinal: relating to the longitudinal median line or area.
Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology|John. B. Smith
Area mediastinal, scapularis and ulnaris: the areas in front of the mediastinal, the scapular, and the ulnar veins in Orthoptera.
Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology|John. B. Smith

The laryngoscope may also reveal the presence of an aortic aneurism or a mediastinal tumour.
Garcia the Centenarian And His Times|M. Sterling Mackinlay

British Dictionary definitions for mediastinum

mediastinum

/ (ˌmiːdɪəˈstaɪnəm) /

noun plural -na (-nə) anatomy

a membrane between two parts of an organ or cavity such as the pleural tissue between the two lungs

the part of the thoracic cavity that lies between the lungs, containing the heart, trachea, etc

Derived forms of mediastinum

mediastinal, adjective

Word Origin for mediastinum

C16: from medical Latin, neuter of Medieval Latin mediastīnus median, from Latin: low grade of servant, from medius mean

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