membrane

[ mem-breyn ]

See synonyms for membrane on Thesaurus.com

noun

Anatomy. a thin, pliable sheet or layer of animal or vegetable tissue, serving to line an organ, connect parts, etc.
Cell Biology. the thin, limiting covering of a cell or cell part.

Origin of membrane

1375–1425; late Middle English; Middle English membraan parchment <Latin membrāna.See member, -an

Other words from membrane

mem·brane·less, adjective
in·ter·mem·brane, adjective

Words Nearby membrane

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

How to use membrane in a sentence

The vest is heated with a removable, rechargeable lithium-ion battery that is discreetly sewn into the garment in an accessible location, and they all include a waterproof membrane to keep the wires and battery safe from water.
Best heated vest: Beat the cold weather with the right winter gear | PopSci Commerce Team | February 9, 2021 | Popular-Science
Often, organelles are individual sacks of proteins set off from the rest of the cell by a membrane.
Scientists Say: Organelle | Bethany Brookshire | February 8, 2021 | Science News For Students
Also, the metal gears that make up the best mechanical keyboards are far sturdier than they are in plastic membrane models.
Best mechanical keyboard: Game, code, type, and work smoother and faster | PopSci Commerce Team | February 4, 2021 | Popular-Science
We recommend selecting a two- or three-layer waterproof glove that has a breathable membrane like Gore-Tex.
Best winter gloves: Our picks for touch screen gloves, ski gloves, and more | PopSci Commerce Team | February 2, 2021 | Popular-Science
The ability to form an outer membrane around the organism that separates it from the external world.
Is Life Special Just Because It’s Rare? - Issue 95: Escape | Alan Lightman | January 20, 2021 | Nautilus

Traveling through the bodily fluids of an infected person, Ebola enters through a mucous membrane or break in the skin.
Blood Is Ebola’s Weapon and Weakness | Abby Haglage | October 26, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Water has to be pushed through a semipermeable membrane that blocks the salt and other impurities from going through.
Sun+Water= High Tech Caribbean Luxury At The Cusinart Resort | The Daily Beast | June 11, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
When they are done, the casing has transformed from translucent membrane into chewy, wrinkled coat.
The Texas Church of Beef | Jane & Michael Stern | April 27, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
You ever heard of something called membrane theory, detectives?
‘True Detective’ Episode 5 Review: ‘The Secret Fate of All Life’ is the Best Episode Yet | Andrew Romano | February 17, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Small fragments of mucous membrane may be found, and when examined by a pathologist, may occasionally establish the diagnosis.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis | James Campbell Todd
The damage which they do to the mucous membrane favors bacterial invasion.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis | James Campbell Todd
It lives in the large intestine, especially the cecum, with its slender extremity embedded in the mucous membrane.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis | James Campbell Todd
The thread was lodged in the perforated part, and consequently left in contact with the cellular membrane.
An Inquiry into the Causes and Effects of the Variolae Vaccinae | Edward Jenner
Of these coats he rightly supposes the outermost to be merely the epidermis of the middle membrane or testa.
Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia] [Volume 2 of 2] | Phillip Parker King

British Dictionary definitions for membrane

membrane

/ (ˈmɛmbreɪn) /

noun

any thin pliable sheet of material
a pliable sheetlike usually fibrous tissue that covers, lines, or connects plant and animal organs or cells

biology a double layer of lipid, containing some proteins, that surrounds biological cells and some of their internal structures
physics a two-dimensional entity postulated as a fundamental constituent of matter in superstring theories of particle physics
a skin of parchment forming part of a roll

Origin of membrane

C16: from Latin membrāna skin covering a part of the body, from membrum member

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 membrane

membrane

[ mĕm′brān′ ]

A thin, flexible layer of tissue that covers, lines, separates, or connects cells or parts of an organism. Membranes are usually made of layers of phospholipids containing suspended protein molecules and are permeable to water and fat-soluble substances.

Chemistry A thin sheet of natural or synthetic material that is permeable to substances in solution.

Browse