Meaning & use
membrane
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Meanings
nouncountablebiologymedical
A thin flexible layer of tissue that covers, lines, or separates parts of a living body.
Grammar: Countable: a membrane, the membranes; often followed by of.
Patterns
- a membrane
- the membrane around something
- membranes lining something
The lining of the mouth is protected by a delicate membrane.
Doctors found that the membrane around the lung had become inflamed.
Nutrients pass through the membrane into the cell.
nouncountabletechnicalchemistry
A thin sheet of material used to separate substances, as in filters or batteries.
Grammar: Countable in technical use; can also be uncountable when talking about the material itself.
Patterns
- a membrane filter
- a semipermeable membrane
- membrane technology
The water plant uses a fine membrane to remove salt and bacteria.
A semipermeable membrane allows some particles through but blocks others.
Engineers replaced the membrane in the fuel cell.
nouncountabletechnicalmusic
A thin, skin-like sheet that stretches across a surface or opening.
Grammar: Countable; often used for parts of instruments, such as a drum.
Patterns
- a membrane stretched over something
- the membrane of a drum
The drum's membrane vibrated as he struck it.
A thin membrane stretched across the opening kept the dust out.
Word forms
| plural | membranes |
|---|
Common combinations
- cell membrane
- The cell membrane controls what enters and leaves the cell.
- mucous membrane
- The mucous membrane in the nose can become dry in winter.
- semipermeable membrane
- A semipermeable membrane lets water pass but holds back larger molecules.
- membrane filter
- The lab used a membrane filter to sterilize the solution.
- rupture a membrane
- In late pregnancy, the membrane may rupture before labor begins.
Synonyms and how they differ
- film
- Film is a general word for any thin layer and is not usually used for living tissue; membrane is the correct term in biology and medicine.
- lining
- Lining refers to the inner covering of a container or organ and stresses position, while membrane stresses that the layer is thin and flexible.
- layer
- Layer is a general word for anything lying over something else; membrane is a specific thin sheet, often living or semipermeable.
Word family
- membranous adjective
- Thin, flexible, and membrane-like in structure.
- membraneous adjective
- A less common spelling meaning the same as membranous.
Commonly confused: membrane or membranophone? membrane or membrum?
membrane vs membranophone
A membranophone is a musical instrument that makes sound with a stretched membrane, such as a drum; membrane is just the thin layer itself.
membrane vs membrum
Membrum is a rare Latin term for a limb or body part; it is not the same as the thin covering called a membrane.
Practice
Which sentence uses membrane in its main biological sense?
Choose one answer.
In biology, a membrane is a thin layer that covers or separates parts of a living organism, as with the cell membrane. Option 1 is a musical instrument part, option 3 is a filtration material, and option 4 is a keyboard component.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “membrane”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.