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• reticulum
  reticulum

  noun

  a network; any reticulated system or structure.
• Reticulum
  Reticulum

  noun

  a small constellation in the S hemisphere lying between Dorado and Hydrus

reticulum

American  

[ri-tik-yuh-luhm] / rɪˈtɪk yə ləm /

noun

plural

reticula,

genitive

Reticuli

1. a network; any reticulated system or structure.

2. Anatomy.

   1. a network of intercellular fibers in certain tissues.

   2. a network of structures in the endoplasm or nucleus of certain cells.

3. Zoology. the second stomach of ruminating animals, between the rumen and the omasum.

4. (initial capital letter) the Net, a southern constellation between Dorado and Hydrus.

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reticulum ¹ British  

/ rɪˈtɪkjʊləm /

noun

1. any fine network, esp one in the body composed of cells, fibres, etc

2. the second compartment of the stomach of ruminants, situated between the rumen and psalterium

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Reticulum ² British  

/ rɪˈtɪkjʊləm /

noun

1. a small constellation in the S hemisphere lying between Dorado and Hydrus

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reticulum Scientific  

/ rĭ-tĭk′yə-ləm /

plural

reticula

1. The second division of the stomach in ruminant animals, which together with the rumen contains microorganisms that digest fiber. The reticulum's contents are regurgitated for further chewing as part of the cud.

2. See more at ruminant

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Etymology

Origin of reticulum

First recorded in 1650–60; from Latin rēticulum “little net”; see reticle

Explanation

A reticulum is a natural structure that resembles a net or web, like the veins in a leaf or the network of fibers in a cell. You can use reticulum for anything in nature with a structure that looks like a net. In fact, the Latin meaning of the word is "a little net." Reticulum has been adopted for many scientific uses, including the name of a net-like constellation. A cow or other ruminant's second (of four) stomachs is also called a reticulum, from the honeycomb shape of its lining.

Example Sentences

Their research shows that cells actively reshape the endoplasmic reticulum, or ER, one of the largest and most complex structures inside the cell.

From Science Daily • Feb. 3, 2026

One, called LCA, damaged T cell function by causing endoplasmic reticulum stress, while another, UDCA, boosted T cell performance and drew more immune cells to the liver.

From Science Daily • Oct. 17, 2025

ZIP7 is also the only zinc transporter found in the endoplasmic reticulum, a membranous structure where a cell makes proteins destined for the outer membrane of the cell or for secretion out of the cell.

From Science Daily • Apr. 30, 2024

Researchers at LMU and Stanford University reveal how cells regenerate protein factories at endoplasmic reticulum.

From Science Daily • Feb. 23, 2024

Leucocytes are defined to be “minute, nucleated, colorless masses of protoplasm, capable of ameboid movements, found swimming freely in blood and lymph, in the reticulum of lymphatic glands, and in bone-marrow and other connective tissue.”

From Alcohol: A Dangerous and Unnecessary Medicine, How and Why What Medical Writers Say by Allen, Martha Meir

Related Words

• network
• screen