subcutaneous
Americanadjective
-
situated or lying under the skin, as tissue.
-
performed or introduced under the skin, as an injection by a syringe.
-
living below the several layers of the skin, as certain parasites.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of subcutaneous
From the Late Latin word subcutāneus, dating back to 1645–55. See sub-, cutaneous
Explanation
The adjective subcutaneous is a medical term that describes anything that exists or is inserted just below the skin. Unfortunately, you're most likely to hear the word subcutaneous at the hospital or doctor's office when you're just about to get a shot. The word itself is made up of sub, which is "under" in Latin, and cutaneous, which comes from cutis, meaning "skin." The only actual synonym for subcutaneous is hypodermic, which also usually describes a needle that is inserted below the skin.
Vocabulary lists containing subcutaneous
Dracula
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Into Thin Air
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My Sister's Keeper
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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.
It achieved a pharmacological bioavailability of about 33-41% compared to subcutaneous injection.
From Science Daily • Mar. 24, 2026
Much of Keytruda’s future is tied to a subcutaneous formation of the drug, which was approved in September.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 3, 2026
The ruling applies only to the subcutaneous formulation of the Rahway, N.J., company’s treatment, rather than the intravenous formulation, which Halozyme said isn’t covered by its own patents.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 4, 2025
The company aims to convert 30% to 40% of its Opdivio business ahead of the loss of exclusivity to a new patent-protected subcutaneous formulation known as Opdivo Qvantig, which introduces several patient-centric enhancements.
From Barron's • Nov. 20, 2025
However, the action of both heart and lungs improved, and Van Helsing made a subcutaneous injection of morphia, as before, and with good effect.
From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker
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.
