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membrane

 [mem-breyn]   Example Sentences Origin

mem·brane

   [mem-breyn]
noun
1.
Anatomy. a thin, pliable sheet or layer of animal or vegetable tissue, serving to line an organ, connect parts, etc.
2.
Cell Biology. the thin, limiting covering of a cell or cell part.
Origin:
1375–1425; late Middle English; Middle English membraan parchment < Latin membrāna. See member, -an

Related forms
mem·brane·less, adjective
in·ter·mem·brane, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To membrane

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Membrane is always a great word to know.
So is sinus. Does it mean:
one of the hollow cavities in the skull connecting with the nasal cavities
a natural division or groove in an organ, as in the brain
LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...
Example Sentences
  • Capsaicin, however, repels all other mammals and kills insects by causing membrane damage and metabolic disruption.
  • The thin membrane beneath the keys is flimsy and deforms as you type.
  • If a cell membrane was made up of phospholipids with mostly saturated hydrocarbon tails, the membrane would be too stiff.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
membrane (ˈmɛmbreɪn)
 
—n
1.  any thin pliable sheet of material
2.  a pliable sheetlike usually fibrous tissue that covers, lines, or connects plant and animal organs or cells
3.  biology a double layer of lipid, containing some proteins, that surrounds biological cells and some of their internal structures
4.  physics a two-dimensional entity postulated as a fundamental constituent of matter in superstring theories of particle physics
5.  a skin of parchment forming part of a roll
 
[C16: from Latin membrāna skin covering a part of the body, from membrummember]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

membrane
1510s, "parchment," from L. membrana "parchment," from membrum "limb, member of the body" (see member). The etymological sense is "that which covers the members of the body." Meaning "thin layer of skin, tissue covering a limb or organ" is attested from c.1600.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

membrane mem·brane (měm'brān')
n.

  1. A thin pliable layer of tissue covering surfaces, enveloping a part, lining a cavity, or separating or connecting structures or organs.

  2. Cell membrane.

  3. A thin sheet of natural or synthetic material that is permeable to substances in solution.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
membrane   (měm'brān')  Pronunciation Key 

  1. A thin, flexible layer of tissue that covers, lines, separates, or connects cells or parts of an organism. Membranes are usually made of layers of phospholipids containing suspended protein molecules and are permeable to water and fat-soluble substances.

  2. See cell membrane.

  3. Chemistry A thin sheet of natural or synthetic material that is permeable to substances in solution.


The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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