mucous membrane

noun

a lubricating membrane lining an internal surface or an organ, as the alimentary, respiratory, and genitourinary canals.

Origin of mucous membrane

First recorded in 1805–15

Words Nearby mucous membrane

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

How to use mucous membrane in a sentence

When sprayed into the face of a person or bear, capsaicin inflames the mucous membranes of the eyes, nose and lungs, causing temporary loss of sight, nasal congestion, and, in some, difficulty breathing, Rizzo explained.
Bear spray is showing up at protests and riots. Here’s why, and how it affects humans. | John Briley | March 19, 2021 | Washington Post
Ingestion causes very serious damage to the mucous membranes or other tissues with which contact is made.
Hackers accessed a Florida water treatment plant’s system and tried to make a dangerous change | Stan Horaczek | February 9, 2021 | Popular-Science
The best way to balance your desire for bath-time excitement with keeping your skin and mucous membranes safe is to track how different products make you feel—and avoid any that cause irritation.
To take the most relaxing bath ever, add some healthy tips | Rachel Feltman | January 3, 2021 | Popular-Science
I would like to emphasize that short-range airborne transmission when people are in close contact, meaning inhalation of aerosols, probably is more important than transmission by large droplets that are sprayed onto mucous membranes.
CDC says airborne transmission plays a role in coronavirus spread in a long-awaited update after a website error last month | Lena H. Sun, Ben Guarino | October 5, 2020 | Washington Post
Unlike mammals, whose mucous membranes are mostly internal, corals wear their mucus on both the inside and the outside.
When Evolution Is Infectious - Issue 90: Something Green | Moises Velasquez-Manoff | September 30, 2020 | 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
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
Usually, you will find nothing but a swelling of the mucous membrane of the turbinates with free discharge.
The Treatment of Hay Fever | George Frederick Laidlaw
Hence, we must conclude that it is without effect on the gastro-intestinal mucous membrane.
The Propaganda for Reform in Proprietary Medicines, Vol. 1 of 2 | Various

British Dictionary definitions for mucous membrane

mucous membrane

noun

a mucus-secreting membrane that lines body cavities or passages that are open to the external environment: Also called: mucosa

Derived forms of mucous membrane

mucomembranous (ˌmjuːkəʊˈmɛmbrənəs), adjective

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 mucous membrane

mucous membrane

[ myōō′kəs ]

Any of the membranes lining the passages of the body, such as the respiratory and digestive tracts, that open to the outside. Cells in the mucous membranes secrete mucus, which lubricates the membranes and protects against infection.

Cultural definitions for mucous membrane

mucous membrane

[ (myooh-kuhs) ]

The membrane that lines passageways and cavities in the body that lead to the outside, such as the mouth, gastrointestinal tract, nose, vagina, and urethra. These membranes are equipped with glands that secrete mucus.

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