glabrous

[ gley-bruhs ]

adjective

, Zoology, Botany.

1. having a surface devoid of hair or pubescence.

glabrous

/ ˈɡleɪbreɪt; -brɪt; ˈɡleɪbrəs /

adjective

1. biology without hair or a similar growth; smooth

   a glabrous stem

Derived Forms

• ˈglabrousness, noun

Other Words From

• sub·glabrous adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of glabrous¹

1630–40; < Latin glabr- (stem of glaber ) smooth, hairless + -ous

Word History and Origins

Origin of glabrous¹

C17 glabrous, from Latin glaber

Example Sentences

Meissner corpuscle These nerve receptors lie just beneath the epidermis of glabrous skin, where they detect movement across the skin and fluttering touch.

From Nature

Glabrous skin Hair-free skin is found mainly on the palms and soles.

From Nature

Ruffini ending Found in the dermis of both hairy and glabrous skin, these sensory receptors respond optimally to stretching of skin.

From Nature

Merkel cells are most dense in glabrous skin.

From Nature

So, this Valentine’s Day, don’t attempt caress your sweetheart midargument, lest the posterior insular activation be suppressed. Perform your caress not on the glabrous skin of the palm or sole, but on the hairy skin of the limbs where the caress sensing fibers are found.

From Slate

Related Words

• bare
• hairless
• naked