septum

noun sep·tum \ ˈsep-təm \

Updated on: 5 Apr 2018

Definition of septum

plural septa play \ˈsep-tə\

: a dividing wall or membrane especially between bodily spaces or masses of soft tissue — compare dissepiment

Recent Examples of septum from the Web

In extreme cases, picking could even damage the nasal septum, which is the thin layer of cartilage separating your two nostrils, Ramakrishnan says.

— markham heid, Time, "You Asked: Is It Bad To Pick Your Nose?," 28 Feb. 2018
The hairline and the brow ridge, Deschamps-Braly felt, should be five to six centimetres apart; the eyebrows should be about sixty-five millimetres from the tip of the nose; the nasal septum should be about fifteen millimetres from the upper lip.

— jane mayer, The New Yorker, "The Story of a Trans Woman’s Face," 12 Mar. 2018
The same doesn't apply to septum piercings, though.

— devon abelman, Allure, "I Got My Septum Pierced, and It Hurt So Much More Than I Thought It Would," 16 Feb. 2018
Some chronic sinus infection causes include nasal polyps, a deviated nasal septum, allergies, and other medical conditions, according to the Mayo Clinic.

— amy marturana, SELF, "14 Sinus Infection Signs and Symptoms You Need to Know," 25 Dec. 2017
Your doctor must know how to make more space by either fixing your septum, which separates the left and right airways, or reducing the size of your turbinates, the structures on the side wall inside the nose.

— carlos wolf, miamiherald, "Could a nose job make my breathing worse?," 23 Oct. 2017
The study results released Thursday from Boston Unversity’s CTE Center also showed Hernandez suffered from early brain atrophy and had large perforations in his septum pellucidum, a major membrane in the brain associated with cognitive development.

— rick maese, Washington Post, "Aaron Hernandez was suffering from advanced form of CTE; family files suit against NFL," 21 Sep. 2017
Jaimi, the chill bisexual with a septum piercing from Nick's season, arrives to stir things up.

— elizabeth logan, Glamour, "'Bachelor in Paradise' Season 4 Episode 4B Recap: The Twins Are Here to Shake Things Up," 5 Sep. 2017
In it, her daughter poses in a white top and septum piercing while letting her dark-red curls hang loose.

— harper's bazaar staff, Harper's BAZAAR, "Iman and David Bowie's Daughter Is 17 and Absolutely Stunning," 21 Aug. 2017

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