tissue
Americannoun
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tissues
plural
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Biology. an aggregate of similar cells and cell products forming a definite kind of structural material with a specific function, in a multicellular organism.
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any of several kinds of soft gauzy papers used for various purposes.
cleansing tissue; toilet tissue.
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an interwoven or interconnected series or mass.
a tissue of falsehoods.
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a piece of thin writing paper on which carbon copies are made.
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a woven fabric, especially one of light or gauzy texture, originally woven with gold or silver.
a blouse of a delicate tissue.
verb (used with object)
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to remove (a cosmetic or cream) with a facial tissue (often followed byoff ).
Tissue all cosmetics off the face before going to bed.
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to weave, especially with threads of gold and silver.
noun
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a part of an organism consisting of a large number of cells having a similar structure and function
connective tissue
nerve tissue
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a thin piece of soft absorbent paper, usually of two or more layers, used as a disposable handkerchief, towel, etc
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See tissue paper
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an interwoven series
a tissue of lies
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a woven cloth, esp of a light gauzy nature, originally interwoven with threads of gold or silver
verb
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rare to weave into tissue
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to decorate or clothe with tissue or tissue paper
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of tissue
1325–75; Middle English tissew, variant of tissu < Middle French, Old French, noun use of past participle of tistre to weave < Latin texere
Explanation
Tissue is part of the body of a living thing that is made of similar cells, like the cardiac tissue of your heart. A tissue is also a soft, thin piece of paper used for wiping noses and tear drops. The noun tissue comes from the Old French word tissu, meaning “a ribbon, or belt of woven material.” In fact, as a verb, tissue means "weave fabric strands." Today, we think of tissues as the disposable paper for blowing our noses or packing presents. A different kind of tissue is found in the body — the groups of cells that have the same job, like scar tissue that protects a wound as it heals.
Vocabulary lists containing tissue
Cell Biology - Middle School
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Cell Biology - High School
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Animals (Zoology) - Introductory
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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.
See Examples For:
Both of them started to turn black and swell in the freezing temperatures, signs that the tissue was dying.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
By identifying its previously unknown protective role, researchers have gained a new perspective on how those disruptions might contribute to tissue damage.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 5, 2026
Kimberly-Clark rose after the maker of Huggies diapers, Kleenex tissue paper among other consumer products reiterated growth forecasts for the year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
"Inserting oral tablets is unsafe. Cetirizine tablets are made to be swallowed. Their ingredients have not been tested on delicate vaginal tissue," it added.
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026
Zohra wipes her lipstick off with a tissue, and it smears a bit, like clown makeup.
From "Amina's Song" by Hena Khan
The findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, also include amino acids associated with collagen, an important structural protein found in bones and other connective tissues.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 6, 2026
Unlike bones and many other tissues in the body, tooth enamel cannot naturally regenerate once it has been lost.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 5, 2026
Traditional approaches often involve extracting proteins from biological tissues and analyzing them with techniques such as mass spectrometry.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 4, 2026
They placed the cells inside specially designed collagen gels that mimicked tissues with different levels of stiffness.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 28, 2026
When she pulled tissues out of her purse to blow her nose, Nathan said, “Uncle Jet’s going to be okay, Nali.”
From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young
A man's mother is so tissued and woven into his life and brain that he can no more describe her than describe the air and sunlight that bless his days.
From Mince Pie by Christopher Morley
Meanwhile we "cornered" and "tissued" and "laced" and "labeled."
From The Long Day The Story of a New York Working Girl As Told by Herself by Dorothy Richardson
I consider the following lines as strictly copied by Thomas Warton: The daring artist Explored the pangs that rend the royal breast, Those wounds that lurk beneath the tissued vest.
From Curiosities of Literature, Vol. 2 by Isaac Disraeli
Does she steer the tissued clouds "with radiant feet," or does she steer herself down the tissued clouds?
From Six Centuries of English Poetry Tennyson to Chaucer by James Baldwin
The thoughts we think may be lasting, too, Though not inscribed on the azure blue; On the tissued walls of the soul's great dome, May be found those thoughts ne'er more to roam.
From Gleams of Sunshine Optimistic Poems by Joseph Horatio Chant
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