mucous membrane

noun

|Updated on: 6 Aug 2018

Definition of mucous membrane

: a membrane rich in mucous glands; specifically : one that lines body passages and cavities which communicate directly or indirectly with the exterior

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Recent Examples of mucous membrane from the Web

The attacks involve swelling of the skin, mucous membranes or both.

— jen christensen, CNN, "The 5 most expensive drugs in the United States," 11 May 2018
Mostly these just further inflamed mucous membranes already unhappy with the rarefied air, although someone was running something that evidently came in Tropical Punch flavor.

— jonathan m. gitlin, Ars Technica, "7:57:148—Volkswagen makes racing history with record-breaking electric race car," 29 June 2018
An animal with rabies can also transmit the rabies virus through its saliva, which can come in contact with a person's mucous membranes (mouth, nose, eyes) or can get in open wounds on the skin.

— Courant Community, "Community News For The Putnam-Killingly Edition," 12 June 2018
Your eyelids can get red as part of all that inflammation, and your actual eyes can take on a red hue if the blood vessels in your conjunctiva (the mucous membrane on the front of your eyes and the insides of your eyelids) widen due to irritation.

— korin miller, SELF, "10 Symptoms of Blepharitis, a Bizarre Condition That Can Affect Your Eyes," 7 June 2018
The virus enters the body through broken skin or mucous membranes in the eyes, nose or mouth.

— susan scutti, CNN, "Ebola outbreak in DRC is 'ongoing' but WHO is 'cautiously optimistic'," 8 June 2018
These symptoms included respiratory failure, severe irritation of mucous membranes and disruption to the central nervous system.

— sheena mckenzie, CNN, "Syria 'chemical attack': 500 people affected, says WHO," 11 Apr. 2018
When applying EPIDUO® Forte Gel, care should be taken to avoid the eyes, lips and mucous membranes.

— noelle devoe, Seventeen, "Which Disney Princess Are You?," 13 Sep. 2017
The virus is spread through contact with infected skin, mucous membranes, and bodily fluids.

— marie mccullough, chicagotribune.com, "HPV is causing an oral cancer epidemic in men by outwitting natural defenses," 12 Mar. 2018

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

First Known Use of mucous membrane

1801

in the meaning defined above

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MUCOUS MEMBRANE Defined for English Language Learners

mucous membrane

noun

Definition of mucous membrane for English Language Learners

: a thin, wet layer of skin that is inside some parts of the body (such as the nose and throat) and that produces mucus

Medical Dictionary

mucous membrane

noun

medical Definition of mucous membrane

: a moist membranous layer 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, that functions in protection, support, nutrient absorption, and secretion of mucus, enzymes, and salts, and that is composed of epithelium supported below by the lamina propria and sometimes by the muscularis mucosae — called also mucosa; compare serous membrane