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pleura

American  
[ploor-uh] / ˈplʊər ə /

noun

pleurae plural
  1. Anatomy, Zoology. a delicate serous membrane investing each lung in mammals and folded back as a lining of the corresponding side of the thorax.

  2. plural of pleuron.


pleura British  
/ ˈplʊərə /

noun

  1. the thin transparent serous membrane enveloping the lungs and lining the walls of the thoracic cavity

  2. the plural of pleuron

"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

pleura Scientific  
/ plrə /
pleurae plural
  1. A membrane that encloses each lung and lines the chest cavity.


Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

Etymology

Origin of pleura

1655–65; < New Latin < Greek pleurá (singular) side, rib

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.

The layer of tissue that covers the lung and dips into spaces is called the visceral pleura.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

To check for them, doctors look at the pleura, the membrane that envelops each lung.

From Scientific American • Jun. 11, 2020

Under normal conditions, viewers see a reflection of the pleura as a series of equidistant horizontal lines, called A lines, throughout those organs.

From Scientific American • Jun. 11, 2020

Therefore, as you breathe, the pleural fluid prevents the two layers of the pleura from rubbing against each other and causing damage due to friction.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

The whole is invested with a thin, transparent membrane—a continuation of that lining the chest, named pleura.

From The American Reformed Cattle Doctor by Dadd, George

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