lanugo
[ luh-noo-goh, -nyoo- ]
/ ləˈnu goʊ, -ˈnyu- /
noun, plural la·nu·gos. Biology.
a coat of delicate, downy hairs, especially that with which the human fetus or a newborn infant is covered.
Origin of lanugo
Words nearby lanugo
lanthanum,
lanthorn,
lantsang,
lanuginose,
lanuginous,
lanugo,
lanyard,
lanza,
lanzarote,
lanzhou,
lanús
Example sentences from the Web for lanugo
Man comes into the world covered almost entirely with lanugo or short fine hair.
The Races of Man |Joseph DenikerI have included the down on the human body and the lanugo on the foetus as a rudimentary representation of a hairy coat.
More Letters of Charles Darwin Volume II |Charles Darwin
British Dictionary definitions for lanugo
lanugo
/ (ləˈnjuːɡəʊ) /
noun plural -gos
a layer of fine hairs, esp the covering of the human fetus before birth
Derived forms of lanugo
lanuginous (ləˈnjuːdʒɪnəs) or lanuginose, adjective lanuginousness, nounWord Origin for lanugo
C17: from Latin: down, from
lāna wool
Medical definitions for lanugo
lanugo
[ lə-nōō′gō, ]
n. pl. la•nu•gos
The fine, soft hair that grows on a fetus and is present on a newborn.
lanugo hair
Scientific definitions for lanugo
lanugo
[ lə-nōō′gō ]
A covering of fine, soft hair or hairlike structures, as on a leaf, insect, or human fetus.