medulla

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: me=dul=la

CIDE DICTIONARY

medulla, n. [L.].

•  Marrow; pith; hence, essence.  Milton.  [1913 Webster]
•  The marrow of bones; the deep or inner portion of an organ or part; as, the medulla, or medullary substance, of the kidney; specifically, the medula oblongata.  [1913 Webster]
•  A soft tissue, occupying the center of the stem or branch of a plant; pith.  [1913 Webster]
•  See medulla oblongata.  [PJC]

∥Medulla oblongata. [L., oblong medulla] (Anat.), the posterior part of the brain connected with the spinal cord. It includes all the hindbrain except the cerebellum and pons, and from it a large part of the cranial nerves arise. It controls very largely respiration, circulation, swallowing, and other functions, and is the most vital part of the brain; -- called also bulb of the spinal cord. See Brain.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

medulla, n.
1 the inner region of certain organs or tissues usu. when it is distinguishable from the outer region or cortex, as in hair or a kidney.
2 the myelin layer of certain nerve fibres.
3 the soft internal tissue of plants.

Idiom

medulla oblongata the continuation of the spinal cord within the skull, forming the lowest part of the brain stem.

Derivative

medullary adj.

Etymology

L, = pith, marrow, prob. rel. to medius middle