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Definition of "medulla" [me•dul•la]

  • The inner core of certain organs or body structures, such as the marrow of bone. (noun)
  • The medulla oblongata. (noun)
  • See myelin. (noun)
  • Botany The pith in the stems or roots of certain plants. (noun)
  • Botany The central portion of a thallus in certain lichens and red or brown algae. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "medulla" in a sentence
  • "If you think of a piece of hair as a pencil, the medulla is the graphite, the cortex is the wood, and the paint on the outside is the cuticle."
  • "It's very early, but they're specifically targeting in on the lowest part of the brain stem, known as the medulla (ph), figuring that there might be an abnormality in babies who die of SIDS versus other babies."
  • "But looking at some data specifically at the lowest part of the brain stem called the medulla, looking at serotonin activity in that area."
Words like "medulla"