cortex

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   the outer layer of an organ or body structure, especially the outer part of the brain

   The scan showed increased activity in the visual cortex.

2. 2
   noun

   the tissue between the epidermis and the central vascular region of a plant stem or root

   The root cortex stores nutrients and moves water toward the vascular tissue.

3. 3
   noun

   the softer outer portion of the lens of the eye surrounding its nucleus

   The cataract began in the cortex of the lens rather than at its center.

Appears in

Simplified etymology

Cortex is a Latin word meaning literally “tree bark” or “husk,” and it was first used in English in that sense. From the mid-18th century, it was also used of the brain.

Borrowed from Latin cortex, 'bark, rind, or outer covering.' Anatomy and botany retained that spatial image for the outer tissue of an organ, a brain, a plant stem or root, and the lens of the eye.

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External links

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• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary