mucosa

noun mu·co·sa \ myü-ˈkō-zə \

Definition of mucosa

plural mucosae play \-(ˌ)zē, -ˌzī\ or mucosas

: mucous membrane

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mucosal

play \-zəl\ adjective

Recent Examples of mucosa from the Web

The detergent can get on the skin or mucosa (inner lining of mouth).

— brittney mcnamara, Teen Vogue, "What Eating Tide Pods Does to Your Body," 18 Jan. 2018
In theory, ingestion of undiluted formulations could cause injuries like burns to gastrointestinal mucosa, abdominal pain, gastrointestinal bleeding, and gut perforation.

— sarah brookbank, Cincinnati.com, "In case you were wondering, this is why eating Tide Pods is terrible for you," 19 Jan. 2018
The cuts don’t need to be big—even microscopic disruptions in your vaginal mucosa can be enough, Dr. Streicher says.

— korin miller, SELF, "Can I Really Not Sleep With a Tampon in During My Period?," 23 Jan. 2018
Heat and water loss are closely related: heating the air in the nasal cavities means the lining of the nasal cavity (mucosa) becomes cooler than core body temperature; at the same time, water evaporates (becomes vapour) to make the air moist.

— david king, CNN, "Why cold air makes your nose run," 13 Dec. 2017
Also known as evil-sounding aphthous ulcers, canker sores are round or oval lesions that show up in the mucosa (delicate tissue) of your mouth.

— zahra barnes, SELF, "Why Trying to Cure Canker Sores With Alum May Not Be Worth It," 12 Dec. 2017
Those specimens included serum, whole blood, urine, saliva, and vaginal mucosa swabs when the patient wasn’t menstruating.

— Fox News, "Zika detected in woman's vagina for up to 2 weeks, scientists say," 18 Oct. 2016
For his part, Ross wonders if perhaps the nasal mucosa—

— david noonan, Scientific American, "Smell Test May Sniff out Oncoming Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s," 12 June 2017
One recent Australian study suggested nasal mucosa may contain adult stem cells, Young said.

— kristen philipkoski, WIRED, "Stem-Cell Patient Roasts Lawmaker," 3 June 2005

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'mucosa.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of mucosa

New Latin, from Latin, feminine of mucosus mucous

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1867

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

Medical Dictionary

mucosa

noun mu·co·sa \ myü-ˈkō-zə \

medical Definition of mucosa

plural mucosae play \-(ˌ)zē, -ˌzī\ or mucosas

: a membrane rich in mucous glands that lines body passages and cavities (as of the digestive, respiratory, and genitourinary tracts) which connect directly or indirectly with the exterior : mucous membrane

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