Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

periosteum

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.75 in modern English

Syllables: pe-ri-o-ste-um
IPA

14

Scrabble Score

10

Letters

5

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A membrane surrounding a bone.

Example Sentences

"Periosteum and endosteum are connective tissue sheaths of bone. […] The periosteum is a layer of connective tissue covering the external surface of a bone. The periosteum may be divided into two components: / a. An outer fibrous layer consists of dense irregular connective tissue. / b. An inner cellular layer consists of osteoprogenitor (osteogenic) cells."
"The periosteum is constrained and interrupted by tendons, ligaments, and fibrocartilage, whereas the endosteum is awash with hematopoitic bone marrow[…]."

Etymology

From Ancient Greek περί (perí, “about, around”) + ὀστέον (ostéon, “bone”).

Origin

Source language: Ancient Greek

Word Breakdown

Root: περί

Inflected Forms

periostea (plural) periosteums (plural)

Derived Forms

mucoperiosteum periosteal periosteophyte periostitis periostracum

Frequently Paired Words

endosteum

Questions

What does periosteum mean?: A membrane surrounding a bone.
Where does periosteum come from?: It is traced to Ancient Greek.

How to pronounce periosteum

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