Stromal
/ˈstroʊməl/noun
Relating to the supporting connective tissue or framework of an organ, gland, or tumor.
Did you know?Ancient Greek stroma meant a bedcovering, mattress, or layer of material; Greek writers later used it metaphorically for a structured arrangement, inspiring the biological sense of stromal framework.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sterh₂-
“To spread out or extend across a surface”
Ancient Greek
Greek
stṓnnūmi
“I spread or lay out”
Ancient Greek
Greek
strôma
“A covering, mattress, bed, or layer of material”
Late Latin
Latin
strōma
“A covering or layer; a borrowed technical term”
19th Century
Scientific English
stroma
“The supporting framework or connective tissue of an organ”
Modern English
English
stromal
“Relating to that supporting framework or tissue”