dermis

¹ American  

[dur-mis] / ˈdɜr mɪs /

noun

1. Anatomy, Zoology. the dense inner layer of skin beneath the epidermis, composed of connective tissue, blood and lymph vessels, sweat glands, hair follicles, and an elaborate sensory nerve network.

---

-dermis ² American  

1. a combining form meaning “skin,” “layer of tissue,” used in the formation of compound words.

   exodermis; gastrodermis.

---

dermis British  

/ ˈdɜːmɪs /

noun

1. another name for corium

---

dermis Scientific  

/ dûr′mĭs /

1. The innermost layer of the skin in vertebrate animals. The dermis lies under the epidermis and contains nerve endings and blood and lymph vessels. In mammals, the dermis also contains hair follicles and sweat glands.

---

Usage

What does -dermis mean? The combining form -dermis is used like a suffix meaning "skin" or "layer of tissue." It is used in a number of scientific terms, especially in botany and zoology. This form is directly based on epidermis, the thin outer layer of the skin, from the Greek epidermís, “surface skin” (more on this word in the next section below). The word dermis was extracted from epidermis and refers to the dense inner layer of skin. All of these words ultimately come from the Greek dérma, meaning “skin.”The Greek dérma also helps form the word taxidermy. Discover more about its roots in our entry for the word. Closely related to -dermis are the combining forms -derm, -derma, -dermatous, dermat-, dermato-, derm-, and dermo-. Learn their specific applications in our Words That Use articles for these forms.

Other Word Forms

• dermic adjective

Etymology

Origin of dermis¹

1820–30; < New Latin; abstracted from epidermis

Origin of -dermis²

On the model of epidermis; dermis

Compare meaning

How does dermis compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• dermis vs. epidermis

Explanation

Your dermis is the layer of skin that's just underneath the part you can see and touch. The dermis is full of capillaries, sweat glands, and hair follicles. The Greek derma, or "skin," is at the heart of both epidermis, "outer skin," and dermis, "true skin." It's probably your epidermis you think about most — especially when it's itchy or sunburnt. But the thick dermis layer plays a vital role in cushioning the body, giving us a sense of touch, allowing us to feel heat, and much more.

Example Sentences

"The collagen will just sit on the outer layer of your skin, it won't reach the dermis - which is the middle layer."

From BBC • Sep. 27, 2025

In argyria, silver ions circulate through the bloodstream and become embedded in the dermis, a layer beneath the surface where the body cannot easily clear them.

From Salon • Jan. 20, 2025

They are thought to provide clinical improvement by adding volume to the skin, but researchers have found that cross-linked hyaluronic acid also stimulates production of new type I collagen in the dermis.

From Science Daily • Feb. 14, 2024

Multi-layered full thickness skin was created which contained all three layers present in normal human tissue: epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis.

From Science Daily • Oct. 4, 2023

From this coil the tube passes upwards through the dermis in a wavy course until it reaches the cuticle, which it penetrates with a number of spiral turns, at last opening on the surface.

From A Practical Physiology by Blaisdell, Albert F.

Related Words

• bark
• coating
• crust
• fur
• husk
• jacket
• membrane
• rind
• sheath
• surface