septum

[ sep-tuhm ]

noun,plural sep·ta

[sep-tuh]. /ˈsɛp tə/. Biology.

a dividing wall, membrane, or the like, in a plant or animal structure; dissepiment.

Origin of septum

1710–20; <Latin sēptum, variant of saeptum enclosure, noun use of neuter of saeptus (past participle of saepīre to fence); akin to saepēs hedge, fence

Words Nearby septum

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

How to use septum in a sentence

A septum stretching the length of the trunk separates it into two nostrils.
Newly recognized tricks help elephants suck up huge amounts of water | Sid Perkins | June 3, 2021 | Science News
His piercing azure eyes are complemented by a new addition to his appearance: a septum piercing in his nose.
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The division deepens, the septum divides into two lamellæ, and finally two cells are formed.
The Elements of Bacteriological Technique | John William Henry Eyre
For each myotome there is a single nerve, which enters, as in the case of other fishes, the intermuscular septum.
The Works of Francis Maitland Balfour, Volume 1 | Francis Maitland Balfour
It is not possible from transverse sections to determine for certain whether the septum spoken of is complete.
The Works of Francis Maitland Balfour, Volume 1 | Francis Maitland Balfour

By the close of stage K, the septum between the mouth and throat becomes pierced, and the two are placed in communication.
The Works of Francis Maitland Balfour, Volume 1 | Francis Maitland Balfour
The two Wolffian ducts meet at so acute an angle that their hindermost extremities are only separated by a septum.
The Works of Francis Maitland Balfour, Volume 1 | Francis Maitland Balfour

British Dictionary definitions for septum

septum

/ (ˈsɛptəm) /

nounplural -ta (-tə)

biology anatomy a dividing partition between two tissues or cavities
a dividing partition or membrane between two cavities in a mechanical device

Origin of septum

C18: from Latin saeptum wall, from saepīre to enclose; related to Latin saepēs a fence

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 septum

septum

[ sĕp′təm ]

Plural septa

A thin wall or membrane that separates two parts or structures in an organism. Septae separate the chambers of the heart and subdivide the hyphae of some fungi.

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