lamina

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a thin layer, plate, sheet, or scale of material

   The sample separated into a translucent lamina under gentle pressure.

2. 2
   noun

   anatomy: a thin plate or layer of tissue or bone, including part of a vertebral arch

   The fracture extended through the lamina of the vertebra.

3. 3
   noun

   botany: the flat blade of a leaf or another expanded plant structure

   The broad lamina captured sunlight above the shaded forest floor.

Borrowed from Latin lamina, 'a thin piece of metal, wood, or stone; a plate, leaf, or layer.' Scientific English retained the general sense and applied it more specifically in anatomy and botany.

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