tapetum
[ tuh-pee-tuh m ]
/ təˈpi təm /
noun, plural ta·pe·ta [tuh-pee-tuh] /təˈpi tə/.
Botany.
a layer of cells often investing the archespore in a developing sporangium and absorbed as the spores mature.
Anatomy, Zoology.
any of certain membranous layers or layered coverings, as in the choroid of the eyes of certain animals.
Origin of tapetum
1705–15; < New Latin, special use of Medieval Latin
tapētum coverlet (Latin, only plural) < Greek
tapēt- (stem of
tápēs) carpet, rug
OTHER WORDS FROM tapetum
ta·pe·tal, adjectiveWords nearby tapetum
Example sentences from the Web for tapetum
The tapetum lucidum is found in Ungulata, Cetacea and Carnivora.
The subject, however, of the various colours of the tapetum in different animals is not yet understood.
The Book of Cats |Charles H. RossIris tapetum: the pigment layer of the compound eye just below the crystalline cone.
Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology |John. B. Smith
British Dictionary definitions for tapetum
tapetum
/ (təˈpiːtəm) /
noun plural -ta (-tə)
a layer of nutritive cells in the sporangia of ferns and anthers of flowering plants that surrounds developing spore cells
- a membranous reflecting layer of cells in the choroid of the eye of nocturnal vertebrates
- a similar structure in the eyes of certain nocturnal insects
anatomy
a covering layer of cells behind the retina of the eye
Derived forms of tapetum
tapetal, adjectiveWord Origin for tapetum
C18: from New Latin, from Medieval Latin: covering, from Latin
tapēte carpet, from Greek
tapēs carpet
Medical definitions for tapetum
tapetum
[ tə-pē′təm ]
n. pl. ta•pe•ta (-tə)
A membranous layer or region, especially the iridescent membrane of the choroid of certain mammals.
A layer of fibers of the corpus callosum forming the roof of part of the lateral ventricle of the brain.