dermatome

[ dur-muh-tohm ]

noun

1. Anatomy. an area of skin that is supplied with the nerve fibers of a single, posterior, spinal root.
2. Surgery. a mechanical instrument for cutting thin sections of skin for grafting.
3. Embryology. the part of a mesodermal somite contributing to the development of the dermis.

dermatome

/ ˈdɜːməˌtəʊm; ˌdɜːməˈtɒmɪk /

noun

1. a surgical instrument for cutting thin slices of skin, esp for grafting
2. the area of skin supplied by nerve fibres from a single posterior spinal root
3. embryol the part of a somite in a vertebrate embryo that gives rise to the dermis

Derived Forms

• dermatomic, adjective

Other Words From

• der·ma·tom·ic [dur-m, uh, -, tom, -ik], derma·tomal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of dermatome¹

First recorded in 1925–30; derma ¹ + -tome

Example Sentences

A doctor peeled skin from his thighs in three passes with a dermatome down the front of his left leg and two passes down the back of his right leg.

From Washington Times

When the virus becomes reactivated, the rash of shingles appears in the area of skin that is supplied by that nerve, known as a dermatome.

From US News