Epidermis

//ˌɛp.ɪˈdɜː.mɪs// noun

noun ·Moderate ·College level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    The outer, protective layer of the skin of vertebrates, covering the dermis
  2. 2
    the outer layer of the skin covering the exterior body surface of vertebrates wordnet
  3. 3
    The similar outer layer of cells in invertebrates and plants

Synonyms

All synonyms
cuticleblastodermbordercircumferencecoriumcortex

Example

More examples

"Several areas of the epidermis of the face show a peculiar yellowish discoloration."

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin epidermis, from Ancient Greek ἐπιδερμίς (epidermís), ἐπί (epí, “on top of”) + δέρμα (dérma, “skin”). Equivalent to epi- + dermis.

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.