Peritoneum definition
The serous membrane that lines the walls of the abdominal cavity and folds inward to enclose the viscera.
noun
The transparent serous membrane lining the abdominal cavity and reflected inward at various places to cover the visceral organs.
noun
The serous membrane that lines the walls of the abdominal cavity and folds inward to enclose the viscera.
noun
The membrane that lines the walls of the abdomen and the pelvis (called the parietal peritoneum) and encloses the abdominal and pelvic organs (called the visceral peritoneum.) The space between the two, the peritoneal cavity, fills with inflammatory cells and pus when the peritoneum becomes infected.
Alternative Forms
Alternative Form of peritoneum -
peritonum
Other Word Forms
Noun
Singular:
peritoneum
Plural:
peritonea, peritoneumsOrigin of peritoneum
- Middle English from Late Latin peritonaeum from Greek peritonaion from peritonaios stretched across from peritonos stretched around peri- peri- teinein to stretch ten- in Indo-European roots
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
- From Ancient Greek περί- (peri, “around") + τόνος (tonos, “stretch") + -αιος (-aios, “suffix to form an adjective").
From Wiktionary