connective tissue

noun

: a tissue of mesodermal origin that consists of various cells (such as fibroblasts and macrophages) and interlacing protein fibers (as of collagen) embedded in a chiefly carbohydrate ground substance, that supports, ensheathes, and binds together other tissues, and that includes loose and dense forms (such as adipose tissue, tendons, ligaments, and aponeuroses) and specialized forms (such as cartilage and bone)

Examples of connective tissue in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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First-line managers became the connective tissue of organizations when office walls disappeared. Nirit Cohen, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025 As potential viewers can imagine, there’s still plenty of connective tissue between the two films, and in fact reaches back across the whole series to retroactively assign it more stakes — yes, even deadlier than the world-ending catastrophes that drove each adventure. Todd Gilchrist, Variety, 22 May 2025 Loneliness, in Arendt’s telling, inflames the connective tissues of a society. Kim Samuel, Scientific American, 16 May 2025 Where the episodes from the first half of the season didn’t seem to have much in the way of connective tissue, the return of the Kool-Aid project in the seventh episode confirmed that, yes, the season has had an ongoing storyline, even if that hasn’t always been obvious. Keith Phipps, Vulture, 14 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for connective tissue

Word History

First Known Use

1846, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of connective tissue was in 1846

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Cite this Entry

“Connective tissue.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/connective%20tissue. Accessed 29 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

connective tissue

noun
: a tissue (as bone, cartilage, or tendon) that forms a supporting framework for the body or its parts and has protein fibers between the cells composing it

Medical Definition

connective tissue

noun
con·​nec·​tive tissue kə-ˌnek-tiv- How to pronounce connective tissue (audio)
: a tissue of mesodermal origin that consists of various cells (as fibroblasts and macrophages) and interlacing protein fibers (as of collagen) embedded in a chiefly carbohydrate ground substance, that supports, ensheathes, and binds together other tissues, and that includes loose and dense forms (as adipose tissue, tendons, ligaments, and aponeuroses) and specialized forms (as cartilage and bone)

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