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Synonyms

villous

American  
[vil-uhs] / ˈvɪl əs /

adjective

  1. covered with or of the nature of villi.

  2. having villiform processes.

  3. Botany. pubescent with long and soft hairs that are not interwoven.


villous British  
/ ˈvɪləs /

adjective

  1. (of plant parts) covered with long hairs

  2. of, relating to, or having villi

"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

Other Word Forms

  • intervillous adjective
  • villously adverb

Etymology

Origin of villous

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at villose, -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.

When mice were engineered to lack the RANK/RANKL system in the intestine, the villous expansion during pregnancy and breastfeeding was significantly impaired.

From Science Daily • Dec. 5, 2024

The 33-mer DGP fits perfectly with HLA-DQ2 or HLA-DQ8 and triggers an immune response, leading to inflammation and small intestine villous atrophy.

From Science Daily • May 16, 2024

For conventional adenomas, high-grade dysplasia is related to larger adenoma size and a villous component and is an important risk factor for metastasizing cancer.

From Nature • Sep. 18, 2013

Although the tissue samples proved benign, doctors concluded the polyp was a villous adenoma, so called because of the villi, or finger-like projections visible under a microscope.

From Time Magazine Archive

Stem erect, somewhat glabrous to very villous; stipules none.

From The Manual of the Botany of the Northern United States Including the District East of the Mississippi and North of North Carolina and Tennessee by Gray, Asa