sarcolemma

noun

sar·​co·​lem·​ma ˌsär-kə-ˈle-mə How to pronounce sarcolemma (audio)
: the membrane enclosing a striated muscle fiber
sarcolemmal
ˌsär-kə-ˈle-məl How to pronounce sarcolemma (audio)
adjective

Examples of sarcolemma in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Curiously, the fungus destroyed the sarcolemma, a kind of sheath around the muscle fibers. —Matt Simon, WIRED, 17 July 2019

Word History

Etymology

sarco- + Greek lémma "rind, husk" — more at lemma entry 2

Note: Term introduced by the English surgeon and histologist William Bowman (1816-92) in "On the minute structure and movements of voluntary muscle," Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, 1840, part II, p. 475.

First Known Use

1840, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sarcolemma was in 1840

Dictionary Entries Near sarcolemma

sarcoidosis

sarcolemma

sarcology

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Sarcolemma.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sarcolemma. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

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Medical Definition

sarcolemma

noun
sar·​co·​lem·​ma ˌsär-kə-ˈlem-ə How to pronounce sarcolemma (audio)
: the thin transparent homogeneous sheath enclosing a striated muscle fiber
sarcolemmal
-əl How to pronounce sarcolemma (audio)
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on sarcolemma

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sarcolemma

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