membrane


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mem·brane

 (mĕm′brān′)
n.
1. Biology
a. A thin, pliable layer of tissue covering surfaces or separating or connecting regions, structures, or organs of a living organism.
b. A semipermeable layer that bounds a cell or an organelle, typically consisting of lipids and proteins.
2. A thin, pliable sheet or layer of natural or synthetic material: the resonating membrane of a kazoo.
3. A piece of parchment.
4. Chemistry A thin sheet of natural or synthetic material that is permeable to substances in solution.

[Latin membrāna, skin, from membrum, member of the body.]

mem′bra·nal (-brə-nəl) adj.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

membrane

(ˈmɛmbreɪn)
n
1. any thin pliable sheet of material
2. (Biology) a pliable sheetlike usually fibrous tissue that covers, lines, or connects plant and animal organs or cells
3. (Biology) biology a double layer of lipid, containing some proteins, that surrounds biological cells and some of their internal structures
4. (Atomic Physics) physics a two-dimensional entity postulated as a fundamental constituent of matter in superstring theories of particle physics
5. (Historical Terms) a skin of parchment forming part of a roll
[C16: from Latin membrāna skin covering a part of the body, from membrum member]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

mem•brane

(ˈmɛm breɪn)

n.
1. a thin, pliable sheet or layer of animal or vegetable tissue, serving to line an organ, connect parts, etc.
2. any thin, pliable material used as a filter, separator, resonator, etc.
[1375–1425; late Middle English; Middle English membraan parchment < Latin membrāna. See member, -an1]
mem′brane•less, adj.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

mem·brane

(mĕm′brān′)
1. A thin, flexible layer of tissue that covers, lines, separates, or connects cells or parts of an organism. See cell membrane.
2. Chemistry A thin sheet of natural or synthetic material that is permeable to substances in solution.
The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

membrane

A thin lining or layer.
Dictionary of Unfamiliar Words by Diagram Group Copyright © 2008 by Diagram Visual Information Limited
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.membrane - a thin pliable sheet of materialmembrane - a thin pliable sheet of material  
drumhead, head - a membrane that is stretched taut over a drum
gel, gelatin - a thin translucent membrane used over stage lights for color effects
flat solid, sheet - a flat artifact that is thin relative to its length and width
2.membrane - a pliable sheet of tissue that covers or lines or connects the organs or cells of animals or plantsmembrane - a pliable sheet of tissue that covers or lines or connects the organs or cells of animals or plants
trophoblast - the membrane that forms the wall of the blastocyst in early development; aids implantation in the uterine wall; "after implantation of the blastocyst in the uterine wall the trophoblast divides into two layers, the chorion and the placenta"
chorioallantoic membrane, chorioallantois - the very vascular fetal membrane composed of the fused chorion and adjacent wall of the allantois
web - membrane connecting the toes of some aquatic birds and mammals
Bowman's capsule, capsula glomeruli, glomerular capsule - thin double membrane surrounding the glomerulus of a nephron
animal tissue - the tissue in the bodies of animals
axolemma - outer membrane covering an axon
basilar membrane - a membrane in the cochlea that supports the organ of Corti
fetal membrane - any membrane that functions for the protection or nourishment or respiration or excretion of a developing fetus
choroid, choroid coat - a highly vascular membrane in the eye between the retina and the sclera; a dark pigmentation minimizes the scattering of light inside the eye
ciliary body - the part of the tunic of the eye between the choroid coat and the iris; "the ciliary body produces aqueous humor"
cornea - the transparent dome-shaped anterior portion of the outer covering of the eye; it covers the iris and pupil and is continuous with the sclera
diaphragm, midriff - (anatomy) a muscular partition separating the abdominal and thoracic cavities; functions in respiration
eardrum, myringa, tympanic membrane, tympanum - the membrane in the ear that vibrates to sound
endocranium - membrane lining the inside of the skull
endosteum - vascular membrane that lines the inner surface of long bones
ependyma - thin epithelial membrane lining the ventricles of the brain and the spinal cord canal
fertilization membrane - the membrane that forms around a fertilized ovum and prevents penetration by additional spermatozoon
hyaloid, hyaloid membrane - the transparent membrane enveloping the vitreous humor of the eye and separating it from the retina
intima - the innermost membrane of an organ (especially the inner lining of an artery or vein or lymphatic vessel)
iris - muscular diaphragm that controls the size of the pupil which in turn controls the amount of light that enters the eye; it forms the colored portion of the eye
lamella - a thin membrane that is one of the calcified layers that form bones
meninges, meninx - a membrane (one of 3) that envelops the brain and spinal cord
mucosa, mucous membrane - mucus-secreting membrane lining all body cavities or passages that communicate with the exterior
periosteum - a dense fibrous membrane covering the surface of bones (except at their extremities) and serving as an attachment for tendons and muscles; contains nerves and blood vessels that nourish the enclosed bone
perithelium - tissue layer around small blood vessels
retina - the innermost light-sensitive membrane covering the back wall of the eyeball; it is continuous with the optic nerve
sarcolemma - an extensible membrane enclosing the contractile substance of a muscle fiber
semipermeable membrane - a membrane (as a cell membrane) that allows some molecules to pass through but not others
serosa, serous membrane - a thin membrane lining the closed cavities of the body; has two layers with a space between that is filled with serous fluid
synovial membrane, synovium - a thin membrane in synovial (freely moving) joints that lines the joint capsule and secretes synovial fluid
adventitia, tunic, tunica - an enveloping or covering membrane or layer of body tissue
phospholipid - any of various compounds composed of fatty acids and phosphoric acid and a nitrogenous base; an important constituent of membranes
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

membrane

noun layer, film, skin, tissue, veil, diaphragm the mucous membrane
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

membrane

noun
A thin outer covering of an object:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
غِشاء، أغْشِيَه
membránablána
hindemembran
kalvo
membrana
himna
membrana
apvalksmembrānaplēve
membrána

membrane

[ˈmembreɪn] Nmembrana f
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

membrane

[ˈmɛmbreɪn] nmembrane f
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

membrane

nMembran(e) f
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

membrane

[ˈmɛmbreɪn] nmembrana
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

membrane

(ˈmembrein) noun
a thin film or layer of tissue that covers or lines parts of the body, forms the outside of cells etc.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

mem·brane

n. membrana, capa fina que sirve de cubierta o protección a una cavidad, estructura u órgano;
elastic ______ elástica;
mucous ______ mucosa;
nuclear ______ nuclear;
permeable ______ permeable;
placental ______ de la placenta;
semipermeable ______ semipermeable;
synovial ______ sinovial;
tympanic ______ timpánica.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012

membrane

n membrana; mucous — membrana mucosa; tympanic — membrana timpánica
English-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
References in classic literature ?
While the ear of the former has an external opening, that of the latter is entirely and evenly covered over with a membrane, so as to be quite imperceptible from without.
His eyes were half-filmed over by a growth of morbid membrane, and what was not yet covered shone red and irritated.
Reid considers it to be the effect of inflammation in the nictitating membrane. When the animal was alive I placed my finger within half an inch of its head, and not the slightest notice was taken: it made its way, however, about the room nearly as well as the others.
His head ached, his eyes were wet, his mucous membrane, he informed her, was in a most unsatisfactory condition.
The shells were a little open; the Captain came near and put his dagger between to prevent them from closing; then with his hand he raised the membrane with its fringed edges, which formed a cloak for the creature.
But despite his caution, a tiny cut so small that it had escaped his searching, had come in contact with the infected mucous membrane and blood poisoning had set in.
In South America, a burrowing rodent, the tuco-tuco, or Ctenomys, is even more subterranean in its habits than the mole; and I was assured by a Spaniard, who had often caught them, that they were frequently blind; one which I kept alive was certainly in this condition, the cause, as appeared on dissection, having been inflammation of the nictitating membrane. As frequent inflammation of the eyes must be injurious to any animal, and as eyes are certainly not indispensable to animals with subterranean habits, a reduction in their size with the adhesion of the eyelids and growth of fur over them, might in such case be an advantage; and if so, natural selection would constantly aid the effects of disuse.
"If this tiny disc can vibrate a bone," he thought, "then an iron disc might vibrate an iron rod, or at least, an iron wire." In a flash the conception of a membrane telephone was pictured in his mind.
While most of them commenced patching the tears of the membrane, half a dozen of them started off for the nearest road in search of a gas main, and presently found themselves prisoners in the hands of a hostile crowd.
Another few minutes would have done for me, I am sure, but the warmth of the interior helped to revive me, aided and abetted by some brandy which Bradley poured down my throat, from which it nearly removed the membrane. That brandy would have revived a corpse.
I was once, I remember, called to a patient who had received a violent contusion in his tibia, by which the exterior cutis was lacerated, so that there was a profuse sanguinary discharge; and the interior membranes were so divellicated, that the os or bone very plainly appeared through the aperture of the vulnus or wound.
Is it possible that you do not know the elementary fact in comparative anatomy, that the wing of a bird is really the forearm, while the wing of a bat consists of three elongated fingers with membranes between?

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