Main Entry: stro·ma

Pronunciation: \ˈstrō-mə\

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural stro·ma·ta \-mə-tə\

Etymology: New Latin stromat-, stroma, from Latin, bed covering, from Greek strōmat-, strōma, from stornynai to spread out — more at strew

Date: circa 1832

1 a : a compact mass of fungal hyphae producing perithecia or pycnidia b : the colorless proteinaceous matrix of a chloroplast in which the chlorophyll-containing lamellae are embedded
2 a : the supporting framework of an animal organ typically consisting of connective tissue b : the spongy protoplasmic framework of some cells (as a red blood cell)

— stro·mal \-məl\ adjective