tissue

[ tish-ooor, especially British, tis-yoo ]

noun

1. Biology. an aggregate of similar cells and cell products forming a definite kind of structural material with a specific function, in a multicellular organism.
2. tissue paper.
3. any of several kinds of soft gauzy papers used for various purposes:

   cleansing tissue; toilet tissue.

4. an interwoven or interconnected series or mass:

   a tissue of falsehoods.

5. a piece of thin writing paper on which carbon copies are made.
6. a woven fabric, especially one of light or gauzy texture, originally woven with gold or silver:

   a blouse of a delicate tissue.

verb (used with object)

, tis·sued, tis·su·ing.

1. to remove (a cosmetic or cream) with a facial tissue (often followed by off ):

   Tissue all cosmetics off the face before going to bed.

2. to weave, especially with threads of gold and silver.

tissue

/ ˈtɪʃuː; ˈtɪsjuː /

noun

1. a part of an organism consisting of a large number of cells having a similar structure and function

   connective tissue

   nerve tissue

2. a thin piece of soft absorbent paper, usually of two or more layers, used as a disposable handkerchief, towel, etc
3. See tissue paper
4. an interwoven series

   a tissue of lies

5. a woven cloth, esp of a light gauzy nature, originally interwoven with threads of gold or silver

verb

1. rare.
   to weave into tissue
2. to decorate or clothe with tissue or tissue paper

tissue

/ tĭsh′o̅o̅ /

1. A large mass of similar cells that make up a part of an organism and perform a specific function. The internal organs and connective structures (including bone and cartilage) of vertebrates, and cambium, xylem, and phloem in plants are made up of different types of tissue.

Other Words From

• tissu·al adjective
• tissu·ey adjective
• inter·tissued adjective
• un·tissued adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of tissue¹

1325–75; Middle English tissew, variant of tissu < Middle French, Old French, noun use of past participle of tistre to weave < Latin texere

Word History and Origins

Origin of tissue¹

C14: from Old French tissu woven cloth, from tistre to weave, from Latin texere

Example Sentences

A rare and lethal brain disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob causes changes in brain tissue and affects muscle coordination and memory, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

From Los Angeles Times

Doing so eliminates momentum and is therefore easier on the joints and connective tissue — one reason many fans of slo-mo training are in their golden years.

From Los Angeles Times

Pictor Labs uses AI to quickly analyze tissue samples digitally.

From Los Angeles Times

Jailed surgeon Ian Paterson has told an inquest into the death of one his patients that he completely removed all the breast tissue at her first mastectomy.

From BBC

One option is cultivated, or cultured, meat and seafood: muscle tissue grown in labs in bioreactors, using animal stem cells.

From Salon

Related Words

• balance
• character
• composition
• consistency
• fabric
• feeling
• makeup
• nature
• pattern
• quality
• sense
• smoothness
• structure
• surface
• taste
• touch