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Definition of "pleura" [pleu•ra]

  • A thin serous membrane in mammals that envelops each lung and folds back to make a lining for the chest cavity. (noun)
  • Plural of pleuron. (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 "pleura" in a sentence
  • "The pleura is the membrane that surrounds the lungs and lines the wall of the chest cavity."
  • "His discomfort due to fluid, which is causing the thin lining outside the lungs, called the pleura, to thicken and collapse."
  • "* — The pleura is a thin, smooth, elastic, and tough membrane which covers the outside of the lungs and lines the inside of the chest walls."