bone marrow

noun

: a soft highly vascular modified connective tissue that occupies the cavities of most bones and occurs in two forms:

a

: one that is yellowish, consists chiefly of fat cells, and is found especially in the cavities of long bones

b

: one that is reddish, is the chief site of blood cell formation, and occurs in the normal adult in cancellous tissue especially of certain flat bones

called also red marrow

Examples of bone marrow in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Periodontitis is associated with bacteria in the bloodstream and systemic inflammation, which can affect organs such as the liver and bone marrow. —Lola Butcher, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Mar. 2024

Peterson, who has worked with stars like Khloé Kardashian and Jennifer Lopez, shared the news in an Instagram post Wednesday that his daughter, Monroe Vivian, had been diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML Leukemia), which the Mayo Clinic says is cancer of the blood and bone marrow. —Cara Lynn Shultz, Peoplemag, 27 Mar. 2024

Receiving the treatment, called exa-cel, is an arduous process that requires months of blood transfusions, bone marrow extraction and chemotherapy. —Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 8 Dec. 2023

Helping others has been linked to: Keeping Iron in Check Adults usually have about 3 to 4 grams (g) of iron in the body, mostly in red blood cells but also in bone marrow. —Rachel Swalin, Health, 7 Apr. 2024

That includes a 9-year-old girl who was brought out of Gaza to donate bone marrow to her sick brother. —Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 26 Mar. 2024

For example, research on workers in the petroleum industry has shown that benzene exposure can increase the risk of leukemia (a cancer of the body’s blood-forming tissues) and multiple myeloma (a condition in which cancerous plasma cells infiltrate bone marrow), per the WHO guidelines. —Jessica Chia, SELF, 12 Mar. 2024

He was first diagnosed with myelofibrosis, a malfunction of cells in the bone marrow, which transformed into secondary myeloid leukemia, for which treatment options are limited. —Gillian Telling, Peoplemag, 28 Feb. 2024

Related: The Alabama IVF ruling uses faux scientific language to justify a religious position Fanconi anemia causes bone marrow failure, organ defects, and cancer susceptibility. —Allen Goldberg, STAT, 27 Feb. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1590, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

bone marrow

noun

: a soft tissue rich in blood vessels that fills the cavities of most bones and occurs in two forms:

a

: one that is yellowish and fatty and is found especially in long bones (as the femur)

b

: one that is reddish, is the main place where blood cells are formed, and in adults is limited especially to certain flat or short bones (as the ribs)

Medical Definition

bone marrow

noun

: a soft highly vascular modified connective tissue that occupies the cavities and cancellous part of most bones and occurs in two forms:

a

: a whitish or yellowish bone marrow that consists chiefly of fat cells and is found especially in the cavities of the long bones

called also yellow marrow

b

: a reddish bone marrow that contains little fat, is the chief site of red blood cell and blood granulocyte formation, and occurs in the normal adult in cancellous tissue especially of certain flat bones

called also red marrow