trabecula

noun

tra·​bec·​u·​la trə-ˈbe-kyə-lə 

plural trabeculae trə-ˈbe-kyə-ˌlē 

-ˌlī

also trabeculas

1

: a small bar, rod, bundle of fibers, or septal membrane in the framework of a body organ or part

2

: a fold, ridge, or bar projecting into or extending from a plant part

especially : a row of cells bridging an intercellular space

trabecular

trə-ˈbe-kyə-lər 

adjective

trabeculate

trə-ˈbe-kyə-lət 

adjective

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Latin, little beam, diminutive of trabs, trabes beam

First Known Use

circa 1866, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Medical Definition

trabecula

noun

tra·​bec·​u·​la trə-ˈbek-yə-lə 

plural trabeculae -ˌlē  also trabeculas

1

: a small bar, rod, bundle of fibers, or septal membrane in the framework of a bodily organ or part (as the spleen)

2

: one of a pair of longitudinally directed more or less curved cartilaginous rods in the developing skull of a vertebrate that develop under the anterior part of the brain on each side of the pituitary gland and subsequently fuse with each other and with the parachordal cartilages to form the base of the cartilaginous cranium

3

: any of the intersecting osseous bars occurring in cancellous bone