adjective
-
(of epithelium) consisting of one or more layers of flat platelike cells
-
covered with, formed of, or resembling scales
Other Word Forms
- squamosely adverb
- squamoseness noun
- squamously adverb
- squamousness noun
Etymology
Origin of squamous
First recorded in 1535–45; from Latin squāmōsus “covered with scales, scaly”; see squama, -ous
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.
Non-melanoma cancers like basal and squamous cell are more common but usually less likely to spread or be fatal, he said.
From BBC • Dec. 30, 2025
The Mayo Clinic says squamous cell carcinoma is a form of cancer that begins as a growth on the cells of the skin and that an HPV infection is among the risk factors.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 2, 2025
"Barrett's esophagus is characterized by the replacement of the resident squamous epithelium of the esophagus by other cell types that are not normally found in this tissue," says the scientist.
From Science Daily • Apr. 11, 2024
Mr. Kildee was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma, a serious but curable form of cancer.
From Washington Times • Nov. 16, 2023
Doctors found squamous cell cancer in a small mole they removed from Ma’s face, a condition caused by too much exposure to the sun.
From "The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother" by James McBride
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
