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Synonyms

villus

American  
[vil-uhs] / ˈvɪl əs /

noun

plural

villi

  1. Anatomy, Zoology. one of the minute, wormlike processes on certain membranes, especially on the mucous membrane of the small intestine, where they serve in absorbing nutriment.

  2. Botany. one of the long, soft, straight hairs covering the fruit, flowers, and other parts of certain plants.

villus British  
/ ˈvɪləs /

noun

  1. zoology anatomy any of the numerous finger-like projections of the mucous membrane lining the small intestine of many vertebrates

  2. any similar membranous process, such as any of those in the mammalian placenta

  3. botany any of various hairlike outgrowths, as from the stem of a moss

"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
villus Scientific  
/ vĭl′əs /

plural

villi

  1. A small projection on the surface of a mucous membrane, such as that of the small intestine.

Etymology

Origin of villus

1695–1705; < Latin: shaggy hair, thick nap

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.

This restriction stems from the fact that the analysis currently necessitates either chorionic villus sampling or amniocentesis, both procedures associated with discomfort and a slight risk of miscarriage.

From Science Daily • Jan. 4, 2024

The apical surface of each villus has many microscopic projections called microvilli.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

In the past, women had to undergo chorionic villus sampling, in which cells are taken from the placenta, or amniocentesis, which involves removing fluid from the womb, to test for the chromosomal abnormality.

From Washington Post • Mar. 5, 2018

The next step is diagnostic testing on cells from the fetus obtained through amniocentesis, which is like a needle biopsy through the belly, or chorionic villus sampling, which snips a bit of the placenta.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 6, 2012

Each villus contains a loop of blood-vessels, and another vessel, the lacteal, so called from the Latin word lac, milk, because of the milky appearance of the fluid it contains.

From A Practical Physiology by Blaisdell, Albert F.

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.