pia mater

American  

[pahy-uh mey-ter, pee-uh] / ˈpaɪ ə ˈmeɪ tər, ˈpi ə /

noun

Anatomy.

1. the delicate, fibrous, and highly vascular membrane forming the innermost of the three coverings of the brain and spinal cord.

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pia mater British  

/ ˈpaɪə ˈmeɪtə /

noun

1. the innermost of the three membranes (meninges) that cover the brain and spinal cord See meninges

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pia mater Scientific  

/ pī′əmā′tər,pē′əmä′tər /

1. The fine vascular membrane that closely envelops the brain and spinal cord under the arachnoid and the dura mater.

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Etymology

Origin of pia mater

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Medieval Latin: literally, “pious mother,” erroneous translation of Arabic umm raqīqah “tender mother,” Arabic umm “mother” also serving as an indicator of relationship between things; cf. dura mater ( def. )

Example Sentences

The name pia mater comes from the Latin for “tender mother,” suggesting the thin membrane is a gentle covering for the brain.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

Blood vessels that are nourishing the central nervous tissue are between the pia mater and the nervous tissue.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

The outermost layer is the dura mater, the middle layer is the web-like arachnoid mater, and the inner layer is the pia mater, which directly contacts and covers the brain and spinal cord.

From Textbooks • Apr. 25, 2013

Just within the bony brain case are the meninges made up of three separate coverings-the dura mater, the arachnoid and the pia mater.

From Time Magazine Archive

There was a small quantity of water between the tunica arachnoidea and pia mater, and a number of opake spots on the former membrane.

From Observations on Madness and Melancholy Including Practical Remarks on those Diseases together with Cases and an Account of the Morbid Appearances on Dissection by Haslam, John