sclerotome

[ skleer-uh-tohm, skler- ]

noun

1. Embryology. the part of a mesodermal somite contributing to the development of the vertebrae and ribs.
2. Surgery. an instrument for use in performing a sclerotomy.
3. Zoology. a fibrous partition separating successive myotomes.

Other Words From

• scle·ro·tom·ic [skleer-, uh, -, tom, -ik, skler-], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of sclerotome¹

First recorded in 1855–60; sclero- + -tome