septum

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a wall or partition separating two cavities or regions in an animal or plant body

   A thin septum separates the two chambers of the structure.

2. 2
   noun

   the partition of cartilage and bone between the two sides of the nose

   The scan showed that the patient's nasal septum curved to the left.

3. 3
   noun

   botany and microbiology: a cross-wall dividing cells, compartments, or chambers in a plant, fungus, alga, or fruit

   Under the microscope, a green septum was visible across the filament.

Borrowed from Latin septum, 'enclosure, wall, or fence,' related to saepire, 'to enclose.' Anatomy, botany, and microbiology use the word for a partition that divides neighboring cavities, chambers, or cells. The regular English plural is septums; scientific writing also uses Latin septa.

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