marsupium

noun

mar·​su·​pi·​um mär-ˈsü-pē-əm How to pronounce marsupium (audio)
plural marsupia mär-ˈsü-pē-ə How to pronounce marsupium (audio)
1
: an abdominal pouch that is formed of a fold of the skin and encloses the mammary glands of most marsupials
2
: any of several structures in various invertebrates (such as a bryozoan or mollusk) for enclosing or carrying eggs or young

Examples of marsupium in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Instead of having a mother's marsupium to keep her safe, staff at the Kangaroo Sanctuary Alice Springs created a makeshift pouch out of cloth. Zulekha Nathoo, USA TODAY, 21 June 2022

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin marsūpium, going back to Latin marsuppium, marsīpium "pouch, bag," borrowed from Greek marsíppion, marsýppion, from mársippos, mársipos, mársypos, mársyppos "bag, pouch" (probably of pre-Greek substratal origin) + -ion, diminutive suffix

First Known Use

1698, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of marsupium was in 1698

Dictionary Entries Near marsupium

Cite this Entry

“Marsupium.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/marsupium. Accessed 5 Dec. 2024.

Medical Definition

marsupium

noun
mar·​su·​pi·​um mär-ˈsü-pē-əm How to pronounce marsupium (audio)
plural marsupia -pē-ə How to pronounce marsupium (audio)
: an abdominal pouch formed by a fold of the skin and enclosing the mammary glands of most marsupials

More from Merriam-Webster on marsupium

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!