periosteum

[ per-ee-os-tee-uhm ]

noun,plural per·i·os·te·a [per-ee-os-tee-uh]. /ˌpɛr iˈɒs ti ə/. Anatomy.
  1. the normal investment of bone, consisting of a dense, fibrous outer layer, to which muscles attach, and a more delicate, inner layer capable of forming bone.

Origin of periosteum

1
1590–1600; <New Latin, variant of Late Latin periosteon, noun use of neuter of Greek periósteos around the bones. See peri-, osteo-

Other words from periosteum

  • per·i·os·te·al, per·i·os·te·ous, adjective
  • per·i·os·te·al·ly, adverb
  • sub·per·i·os·te·al, adjective
  • sub·per·i·os·te·al·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use periosteum in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for periosteum

periosteum

/ (ˌpɛrɪˈɒstɪəm) /


nounplural -tea (-tɪə)
  1. a thick fibrous two-layered membrane covering the surface of bones

Origin of periosteum

1
C16: New Latin, from Greek periosteon, from peri- + osteon bone

Derived forms of periosteum

  • periosteal, adjective

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