septum

American  

[sep-tuhm] / ˈsɛp təm /

noun

Biology.

• septa
  plural

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

---

septum British  

/ ˈsɛptəm /

noun

1. biology anatomy a dividing partition between two tissues or cavities

2. a dividing partition or membrane between two cavities in a mechanical device

---

septum Scientific  

/ sĕp′təm /

• septa
  plural

1. 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.

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• septa
  plural

---

Etymology

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

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

septum septa

She has a few roommates in a small house in an artsy east side neighborhood, where her detergent-blue ombré haircut and spiked septum piercing are de rigueur.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2026

A hefty Moche nose ornament of gold and silver would have been quite the weight to carry from one’s septum, especially with the intricately intertwined creatures that wrap around its edge.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026

My own lab has shown this year that GLP-1 drugs reduce a type of activity in the lateral septum that may prevent it communicating so effectively with other brain regions.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 12, 2026

Despite heavy bleeding and a deviated septum, Davies continued playing.

From BBC ● Mar. 28, 2026

His glasses were rimless at the bottom; his nose pierced at the septum.

From "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater

The fibers also lack internal walls called septa that often divide such tubes into cells.

From Scientific American ● Sep. 24, 2021

In most phyla of fungi, tiny holes in the septa allow for the rapid flow of nutrients and small molecules from cell to cell along the hypha.

From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2015

They took cartilage cells from the patients’ nasal septa, grew them on a collagen membrane, shaped them according to the needs of the patient, and implanted the tissue back into the nose.

From Forbes ● Apr. 12, 2014

The internal septa begin to form about day 28, separating the heart into the atria and ventricles, although the foramen ovale persists until shortly after birth.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013

"Who do you belong to, boy?" the septa demanded.

From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---