lamina

[ lam-uh-nuh ]

noun

, plural lam·i·nae [lam, -, uh, -nee], lam·i·nas.

1. a thin plate, scale, or layer.
2. a layer or coat lying over another, as the plates of minerals or bones.
3. Botany. the blade or expanded portion of a leaf.
4. Geology. a layer of sediment or sedimentary rock only a small fraction of an inch (less than a centimeter) in thickness.

lamina

/ -ˌnəʊz; ˈlæmɪˌnəʊs; ˈlæmɪnə /

noun

1. a thin plate or layer, esp of bone or mineral
2. botany the flat blade of a leaf, petal, or thallus

lamina

/ lăm′ə-nə /

, Plural laminae lăm′ə-nē′

1. The expanded area of a leaf or petal; a blade.
2. See more at leaf
3. A thin layer of bone, membrane, or other tissue.
4. The thinnest recognizable layer of sediment, differing from other layers in color, composition, or particle size. Laminae are usually less than 1 cm (0.39 inches) thick.

Derived Forms

• ˈlaminar, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of lamina¹

From Latin, dating back to 1650–60; lame ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of lamina¹

C17: New Latin, from Latin: thin plate

Example Sentences

This usually happens in a part of our gut called the lamina propria.

From Science Daily

There is some evidence for this idea, such as neuroimaging work in people that have identified activity in the lamina terminalis in response to thirst.

From Scientific American

The laminae of phyllo dough look pale, but they crackle wonderfully against the honey-rich nut fillings.

From Los Angeles Times

Tight junctions are disrupted, enabling microbes to cross from the lumen into the lamina propria.

From Nature

Alvarez wondered what it was about a thin lamina of clay, barely a quarter of an inch thick, that could account for such a dramatic moment in Earth’s history.

From Literature