subcutaneous

adjective

sub·​cu·​ta·​ne·​ous ˌsəb-kyu̇-ˈtā-nē-əs 

: being, living, occurring, or administered under the skin

subcutaneous parasites

subcutaneous tissues

subcutaneously adverb

Examples of subcutaneous in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The participants were randomly assigned to receive either a placebo or one or two subcutaneous injections of lepodisiran. —Shiv Sudhakar, FOXNews.com, 12 Apr. 2025

Blubbery bodies Many millions of years before whales and seals would evolve blubber, marine reptiles were already enjoying the benefits of the thick subcutaneous fat. —Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Apr. 2025

The most common method in elite sport is a skinfold assessment (pictured top), whereby a practitioner will use callipers to pinch the top layers of skin and measure the subcutaneous body fat (the fat just underneath the skin) at specific sites on the body. —Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2025

Every doctor save in this episode is pretty incredible, from Mohan’s blowhole incisions to save her patient with the subcutaneous emphysema to Robby’s bubble intubation. —Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin subcutaneus, from Latin sub- + cutis skin — more at hide entry 2

First Known Use

1651, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for subcutaneous

• miscellaneous
• percutaneous
• simultaneous
• subterraneous
• transcutaneous
• contemporaneous
• extemporaneous
• intracutaneous
• mucocutaneous
• extraneous
• spontaneous
• lanius

Kids Definition

subcutaneous

adjective

sub·​cu·​ta·​ne·​ous ˌsəb-kyu̇-ˈtā-nē-əs 

: being, living, occurring, or given under the skin

subcutaneous parasites

Medical Definition

subcutaneous

adjective

sub·​cu·​ta·​ne·​ous ˌsəb-kyu̇-ˈtā-nē-əs 

: being, living, used, or made under the skin

subcutaneous parasites

subcutaneously adverb