Mucosa
/mjuːˈkoʊ.sə/noun
A mucous membrane lining body cavities and passages that open to the outside.
Did you know?The Latin root *mucus* simply meant “slime” or “mucus,” and *mucosa* is the modern anatomical term for the moist membranes that guard your insides like a biological barrier.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
mucus
“slime; mucus”
Late Latin
Late Latin
mucosa (tunica)
“mucous (membrane/coat)”
Medieval Latin
Latin
mucōsus
“full of mucus; slimy”
19th Century
English
mucosa
“a mucous membrane”