mucous membrane

noun

Updated on: 17 Apr 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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See mucous membrane defined for kids

Recent Examples of mucous membrane from the Web

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
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
The virus will then latch onto the mucous membranes that line the back of your nose, your throat and your bronchial tubes.

— kate murphy, New York Times, "In the Flu Battle, Hydration and Elevation May Be Your Best Weapons," 12 Jan. 2018
Phenol can be highly irritating to the skin, eyes, and mucous membranes and exposure to methanol vapors can cause blurred vision, headache, dizziness, and nausea, EPA says.

— james bruggers, The Courier-Journal, "Louisville slaps chemical plant with big fine, saying failures caused too much pollution," 14 Mar. 2018
Monumentally weird, aggressively perverse, and not infrequently nauseating, Ballard’s most infamous novel is a raw tapestry of mucous membranes and mucilage, gristle and gore and globules of semen.

— becca rothfeld, The New Republic, "J.G. Ballard’s Eerily Accurate Dystopias," 14 Mar. 2018
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
The virus is spread through contact with infected skin, mucous membranes, and bodily fluids.

— marie mccullough, miamiherald, "Oral sex is causing an oral cancer epidemic in men by outwitting natural defenses | Miami Herald," 8 Mar. 2018
The virus implants in the mucous membranes at the back of the throat and upper part of the bronchial tubes.

— Washington Post, "Here’s what you should know about the flu season this year," 2 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

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