Meaning & use
septum
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Meanings
nouncountablemedicalbiology
The thin wall of bone and cartilage that separates the two nostrils inside the nose.
Grammar: Countable: a septum, the septum, septa (plural). Often called the nasal septum in medical contexts.
Patterns
- nasal septum
- deviated septum
A deviated septum can make it hard to breathe through one side of the nose.
The doctor examined the septum to check for any blockage.
Surgery can straighten the septum if it causes chronic breathing problems.
nouncountabletechnicalbiology
A dividing wall or membrane between two cavities or tissues in the body or in a plant or shell.
Grammar: Countable: the septum, a septum, septa. Used in anatomy and biology for various partitions.
Patterns
- interventricular septum
- septum of the heart
The interventricular septum separates the left and right ventricles of the heart.
In some shellfish, a septum divides the chambers of the shell.
Word forms
| plural | septa |
|---|---|
| plural | septums |
Common combinations
- deviated septum
- He had a deviated septum that made his snoring worse.
- nasal septum
- The nasal septum is usually straight but can be crooked.
- septum piercing
- She got a septum piercing through the cartilage of her nose.
- interventricular septum
- A hole in the interventricular septum is a common heart defect.
Synonyms and how they differ
- dividing wall
- A general term for any partition, while septum is the specific anatomical or biological term.
Word family
- septal adjective
- Relating to a septum, as in septal cartilage.
Commonly confused: septum or septic? septum or septum?
septum vs septic
Septic means infected or caused by infection, while septum is a physical dividing wall.
septum vs septum
Not to be confused with 'septum' as a plural of 'septum'? Actually 'septa' is the plural.
Practice
What is the septum in the nose?
Choose one answer.
The septum is the dividing wall between the nostrils. The other options describe other parts of the nose or throat.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “septum”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.