villus
Americannoun
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villi
plural
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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.
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Botany. one of the long, soft, straight hairs covering the fruit, flowers, and other parts of certain plants.
noun
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zoology anatomy any of the numerous finger-like projections of the mucous membrane lining the small intestine of many vertebrates
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any similar membranous process, such as any of those in the mammalian placenta
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botany any of various hairlike outgrowths, as from the stem of a moss
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villi
plural
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of villus
1695–1705; < Latin: shaggy hair, thick nap
Vocabulary lists containing villus
Human Anatomy and Physiology - Introductory
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Human Anatomy and Physiology - High School
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Human Anatomy and Physiology - Middle School
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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:
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 same would be true of women who have prenatal testing of fetuses with amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling, known as C.V.S.
From New York Times ● Aug. 17, 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
In addition to muscle and connective tissue to support its structure, each villus contains a capillary bed composed of one arteriole and one venule, as well as a lymphatic capillary called a lacteal.
From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013
He treats successively of the anatomical characters and properties of fat, of membrane in general, of flesh, of nerve, of villus or fibre, of ligament, of sinew or tendon, and of muscle in general.
From The Popes and Science The History of the Papal Relations to Science During the Middle Ages and Down to Our Own Time by James J. Walsh
When you suffer from food poisoning or another stomach bug, the tip of the villi can break off, says Pimentel, making you temporarily less adept at digesting dairy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
The lactase enzyme is predominantly at the tip of the villi, or the small hairs in the small intestine.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
Having an extra-thick uterine lining, as is the case in humans, helps the female body keep at bay the tentacle-like villi of the invasive human placenta should pregnancy occur.
From Slate ● Sep. 7, 2024
The small intestine is a long tube-like organ with a highly folded surface containing finger- like projections called the villi.
From Textbooks ● Jun. 9, 2022
Place it in a shallow vessel containing water, and examine the mucous membrane with a lens to find the villi.
From Physiology and Hygiene for Secondary Schools by Francis M. Walters
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.
