epithelial

adjective

ep·​i·​the·​li·​al ˌe-pə-ˈthē-lē-əl How to pronounce epithelial (audio)
: of or relating to epithelium
intestinal epithelial cells
epithelial ovarian cancer

Examples of epithelial in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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For one, as University of British Columbia dean of the faculty of dentistry Mary MacDougall told New Scientist last year, the approach may only work in children, who still have plenty of dental epithelial cells, which play a foundational role in the development of teeth. Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 4 June 2026 Experts suspect that the toxins of lilies are quickly absorbed into the cat’s bloodstream and damage the epithelial cells of the renal tubules, which are the long, narrow tubes of nephrons, the structural and functional units of kidneys. Encyclopedia Britannica, 15 May 2026 The antigens that define blood types (the small carbohydrate structures on the surface of red blood cells) are also expressed throughout the body, like epithelial tissues and bodily fluids. Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 20 Apr. 2026 Around 14 years ago, Rosenblatt and colleagues discovered that overcrowded epithelial cells are popped up and out of the tissue alive — extruded — to maintain that tissue balance as new cells grow. Elise Cutts, Quanta Magazine, 12 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for epithelial

Word History

First Known Use

1845, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of epithelial was in 1845

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Cite this Entry

“Epithelial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/epithelial. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.

Medical Definition

epithelial

adjective
ep·​i·​the·​li·​al ˌep-ə-ˈthē-lē-əl How to pronounce epithelial (audio)
: of or relating to epithelium
epithelial cells
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