ep·i·der·mis

(ĕp′ĭ-dûr′mĭs)

1. The outer, protective, nonvascular layer of the skin of vertebrates, covering the dermis.

2. An integument or outer layer of various invertebrates.

3. The outermost layer of cells covering the leaves and young parts of a plant.

[Late Latin, from Greek : epi-, epi- + derma, skin; see der- in Indo-European roots.]

ep′i·der′mal (-məl), ep′i·der′mic adj.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

epidermis

(ˌɛpɪˈdɜːmɪs)

1. (Biology) Also called: cuticle the thin protective outer layer of the skin, composed of stratified epithelial tissue

2. (Anatomy) the outer layer of cells of an invertebrate

3. (Botany) the outer protective layer of cells of a plant, which may be thickened by a cuticle

[C17: via Late Latin from Greek, from epi- + derma skin]

ˌepiˈdermal, ˌepiˈdermic, ˌepiˈdermoid adj

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ep•i•der•mis

(ˌɛp ɪˈdɜr mɪs)

n.

1. the outermost, nonvascular, nonsensitive layer of the skin, covering the dermis.

2. the outer epithelial layer of animal tissue.

3. a thin layer of cells forming the outer integument of seed plants and ferns.

[1620–30; < Late Latin < Greek epidermís. See epi-, derma1]

ep`i•der′mal, ep`i•der′mic, adj.

ep·i·der·mis

(ĕp′ĭ-dûr′mĭs)

1. The protective outer layer of the skin of an animal. In invertebrate animals, the epidermis is made up of a single layer of cells. In vertebrates, the epidermis is made up of many layers of cells and overlies the dermis. Hair and feathers grow from the epidermis.

2. The outer layer of cells of the stems, roots, and leaves of plants. The cells of the epidermis are set close together to protect the plant from water loss, invasion by fungi, and physical damage. See more at photosynthesis.

The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

epidermis

1. The protective outer layer of plants and animals.

2. The skin’s outer layer.

3. The outermost layer of the skin.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun

epidermis - the outer layer of the skin covering the exterior body surface of vertebrates

cuticle

cutis, skin, tegument - a natural protective body covering and site of the sense of touch; "your skin is the largest organ of your body"

epidermal cell - any of the cells making up the epidermis

corneum, horny layer, stratum corneum - the outermost layer of the epidermis consisting of dead cells that slough off

stratum lucidum - the layer of epidermis immediately under the stratum corneum in the skin of the palms and soles

stratum granulosum - the layer of epidermis just under the stratum corneum or (on the palms and soles) just under the stratum lucidum; contains cells (with visible granules) that die and move to the surface

malpighian layer, rete Malpighii, stratum basale, stratum germinativum - the innermost layer of the epidermis

pallium, mantle - (zoology) a protective layer of epidermis in mollusks or brachiopods that secretes a substance forming the shell

stratum - one of several parallel layers of material arranged one on top of another (such as a layer of tissue or cells in an organism or a layer of sedimentary rock)

epidermis

noun

The tissue forming the external covering of the body:

integument, skin.

Translations

επιδερμίδα

épiderme

epidermide epidèrmide

кожица

epidermis

[ˌepɪˈdɜːmɪs] N → epidermis f

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

epidermis

[ˌɛpɪˈdɜː^rmɪs] n → épiderme m

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

epidermis

n → Epidermis f, → Oberhaut f

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

epidermis

[ɛpɪˈdɜːmɪs] n (Anat, Bot, Zool) → epidermide f

ep·i·der·mis

n. epidermis, cubierta externa epitelial de la piel.

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

Jussac was, as was then said, a fine blade, and had had much practice; nevertheless it required all his skill to defend himself against an adversary who, active and energetic, departed every instant from received rules, attacking him on all sides at once, and yet parrying like a man who had the greatest respect for his own epidermis.

View in context

Wrinkles and warts on the epidermis; this is the work of time.

View in context

"Just the same as though you prayed that a physician might only be called upon to prescribe for headaches, measles, and the stings of wasps, or any other slight affection of the epidermis. If you wish to see me the king's attorney, you must desire for me some of those violent and dangerous diseases from the cure of which so much honor redounds to the physician."

View in context

Our outside and often thin and fanciful clothes are our epidermis, or false skin, which partakes not of our life, and may be stripped off here and there without fatal injury; our thicker garments, constantly worn, are our cellular integument, or cortex; but our shirts are our liber, or true bark, which cannot be removed without girdling and so destroying the man.

View in context

Gliddon was of opinion, from the redness of the epidermis, that the embalmment had been effected altogether by asphaltum; but, on scraping the surface with a steel instrument, and throwing into the fire some of the powder thus obtained, the flavor of camphor and other sweet-scented gums became apparent.

View in context

He considered his throat, epidermis, and the hairs of his head as the three principal seats of emotion.

View in context

Previous studies have shown that epidermal stem cells can be used to repair a damaged epidermis, they noted.

EB: Stem cells spark successful skin regeneration

The characteristics of the adaxial (upper) and abaxial (lower) epidermis for the polluted and non-polluted populations of Senna occidentalis are summarized in Tables 1-2 and illustrated in Fig.

Vehicular Traffic Air Pollution as Expressed by Leaves of Senna occidentalis (L.) Link from Three Busy Roads in Nigeria

They found that stem cells coming from different epidermal compartments present very similar response during wound repair, despite the fact that they are recruited from different regions of the epidermis.

The stem cell dynamics of wound healing

Twelve isolates of Staphylococcus epidermis and 12 isolates of Staphylococcus aureus were selected for this study.

Effect of Ultraviolet Light Irradiation Combined with Riboflavin on Different Bacterial Pathogens from Ocular Surface Infection