filamentous

[ fil-uh-men-tuhs ]

adjective

1. composed of or containing filaments.
2. pertaining to or resembling a filament.
3. bearing filaments.

Other Words From

• inter·fila·mentous adjective
• nonfil·a·mentous adjective
• unfil·a·mentous adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of filamentous¹

First recorded in 1665–75; filament + -ous

Example Sentences

Fertilization in mammals begins when a sperm attaches to the egg coat, a filamentous extracellular envelope that sperm must penetrate in order to fuse with the egg.

From Science Daily

Her research aims to use injected filamentous hydrogel material to regrow heart tissue damaged after a heart attack.

From Science Daily

To maintain this protection, the study noted that segmented filamentous bacteria required immune cells in the lungs called basally resident alveolar macrophages.

From Science Daily

Their results revise the understanding of the relationships of a group of filamentous algal land colonizers much older than land plants.

From Science Daily

Moss balls, or "marimo" in Japanese, are popular pet water plants that are not a moss but a special growth form of filamentous algae.

From Science Daily