Peritoneum
/ˌpɛrɪtəˈniːəm/noun
A thin membrane that lines the abdominal cavity and covers many of its organs.
Did you know?The name comes from Ancient Greek anatomical language, where peritoneum described the membrane thought to be stretched around the abdominal organs.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ten-
“To stretch or extend”
Ancient Greek
Greek
teinein
“To stretch or extend”
Ancient Greek
Greek
periteinein
“To stretch around or over”
Hellenistic Greek
Greek
peritonaion
“The membrane stretched around the abdominal organs”
Late Antiquity
Latin
peritoneum
“The abdominal membrane, adopted into medical Latin”
17th Century
English
peritoneum
“The anatomical membrane lining the abdomen and covering its organs”
Modern English
English
peritoneum
“The serous membrane of the abdominal cavity”