membrane

[ mem-breyn ]

noun

1. Anatomy. a thin, pliable sheet or layer of animal or vegetable tissue, serving to line an organ, connect parts, etc.
2. Cell Biology. the thin, limiting covering of a cell or cell part.

membrane

/ ˈmɛmbreɪn /

noun

1. any thin pliable sheet of material
2. a pliable sheetlike usually fibrous tissue that covers, lines, or connects plant and animal organs or cells
3. biology a double layer of lipid, containing some proteins, that surrounds biological cells and some of their internal structures
4. physics a two-dimensional entity postulated as a fundamental constituent of matter in superstring theories of particle physics
5. a skin of parchment forming part of a roll

membrane

/ mĕm′brān′ /

1. A thin, flexible layer of tissue that covers, lines, separates, or connects cells or parts of an organism. Membranes are usually made of layers of phospholipids containing suspended protein molecules and are permeable to water and fat-soluble substances.
2. See cell membrane
3. Chemistry.
   A thin sheet of natural or synthetic material that is permeable to substances in solution.

Other Words From

• membrane·less adjective
• inter·membrane adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of membrane¹

1375–1425; late Middle English; Middle English membraan parchment < Latin membrāna. See member, -an

Word History and Origins

Origin of membrane¹

C16: from Latin membrāna skin covering a part of the body, from membrum member

Example Sentences

In desalination, seawater is filtered through a membrane that removes salts, leaving fresh water and a salty brine.

From Science Daily

The T-vant adjuvant is derived from bacterial outer membrane vesicles, tiny particles that naturally stimulate the immune system.

From Science Daily

To Mr. Frommer, travel wasn’t just about sightseeing in foreign places; it was about seeing those places on their own terms, removing the membrane that separated them from us.

From New York Times

According to the complaint, Anna Nusslock visited Providence in pain and severely bleeding in February and was diagnosed with previable premature pre-labor rupture of membranes, meaning that her twins would not survive birth.

From Los Angeles Times

Cala say they were advised by a roof "membrane manufacturer" that an electronic test would not be an appropriate way to establish the cause.

From BBC

Related Words

• sheath
• sheet