Epithelium definition |Dictionary.com

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Epithelium

8 dictionary results for: Epithelium

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

ep·i·the·li·um

[ep-uh-thee-lee-uh

m] Pronunciation Key

–noun, plural -li·ums, -li·a

[-lee-uh] Pronunciation Key. Biology.

any animal tissue that covers a surface, or lines a cavity or the like, and that, in addition, performs any of various secretory, transporting, or regulatory functions.

[Origin: 1740–50; < NL < Gk epi- epi- + thél() teat + NL -ium -ium

]

—Related forms

ep·i·the·li·al, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

ep·i·the·li·um (ěp'ə-thē'lē-əm) Pronunciation Key
n. pl. ep·i·the·li·ums or ep·i·the·li·a (-lē-ə)
Membranous tissue composed of one or more layers of cells separated by very little intercellular substance and forming the covering of most internal and external surfaces of the body and its organs.

[New Latin epithēlium : epi- + Greek thēlē, nipple; see dhē(i)- in Indo-European roots.]

ep'i·the'li·al adj.

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

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WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

epithelium
noun
membranous tissue covering internal organs and other internal surfaces of the body

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The American Heritage Science Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

epithelium (ěp'ə-thē'lē-əm) Pronunciation Key
Plural epithelia
The thin, membranous tissue that lines most of the internal and external surfaces of an animal's body. Epithelium is composed of one or more layers of densely packed cells. In vertebrates, it lines the outer layer of the skin (epidermis), the surface of most body cavities, and the lumen of fluid-filled organs, such as the gut or intestine.

epithelial adjective

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American Heritage Stedman's Medical Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

epithelium ep·i·the·li·um (ěp'ə-thē'lē-əm)
n. pl. ep·i·the·li·ums or ep·i·the·li·a (-lē-ə)
Membranous tissue composed of one or more layers of cells separated by very little intercellular substance and forming the covering of most internal and external surfaces of the body and its organs.

ep'i·the'li·al adj.

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Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
Main Entry: ep·i·the·li·um
Pronunciation: "ep-&-'thE-lE-&m
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural ep·i·the·lia /-lE-&/
: a membranous cellular tissue that covers a free surface or lines a tube or cavity of an animal body and serves especiallyto enclose and protect the other parts of the body, to produce secretions and excretions, and to function in assimilation

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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Epithelium

En`do*the"li*um\, n.; pl. Endothelia. [NL., fr. Gr. 'e`ndon within + ? nipple.] (Anat.) The thin epithelium lining the blood vessels, lymphatics, and serous cavities. See Epithelium.

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