lamina

American  

[lam-uh-nuh] / ˈlæm ə nə /

noun

plural

laminae, laminas

1. a thin plate, scale, or layer.

2. a layer or coat lying over another, as the plates of minerals or bones.

3. Botany. the blade or expanded portion of a leaf.

4. Geology. a layer of sediment or sedimentary rock only a small fraction of an inch (less than a centimeter) in thickness.

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lamina British  

/ -ˌnəʊz, ˈlæmɪˌnəʊs, ˈlæmɪnə /

noun

1. a thin plate or layer, esp of bone or mineral

2. botany the flat blade of a leaf, petal, or thallus

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lamina Scientific  

/ lăm′ə-nə /

plural

laminae

1. The expanded area of a leaf or petal; a blade.

2. See more at leaf

3. A thin layer of bone, membrane, or other tissue.

4. The thinnest recognizable layer of sediment, differing from other layers in color, composition, or particle size. Laminae are usually less than 1 cm (0.39 inches) thick.

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Other Word Forms

• laminar adjective

Etymology

Origin of lamina

From Latin, dating back to 1650–60; see origin at lame ²

Example Sentences

"When we saw the dental lamina for the first time, our eyes popped," Cohen said.

From Science Daily • Oct. 16, 2025

Dermal denticles, including the ones on the spotted ratfish's pelvic claspers, do not have a dental lamina.

From Science Daily • Oct. 16, 2025

The impact fractured the C5 lamina in Cogliano’s cervical spine.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 17, 2023

In compound leaves, the lamina is separated into leaflets.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

Alvarez wondered what it was about a thin lamina of clay, barely a quarter of an inch thick, that could account for such a dramatic moment in Earth’s history.

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson