medulla
pronunciation
How to pronounce medulla in British English:
UK [mɪ'dʌlə]
How to pronounce medulla in American English:
US [mɪ'dʌlə]
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- Noun:
- a white fatty substance that forms a medullary sheath around the axis cylinder of some nerve fibers
- lower or hindmost part of the brain; continuous with spinal cord; (`bulb' is an old term for medulla oblongata)
- the inner part of an organ or structure in plant or animal
Word Origin
- medulla (n.)
- hindmost segment of the brain, 1650s, from Latin medulla, literally "marrow," also "pith of plants," of unknown origin, perhaps related to or influenced by medius "middle" (but compare also Old Irish smiur, Welsh mer "marrow"). The word was used in the Latin senses in Middle English. Related: Medular; medullary.