Dictionary
Find
in
Dictionary
Thesaurus
Translations

Click to move up the list of words
placoid
pladdy
plagal
plage
plagiarise
plagiarism
plagiarize
plagio-
plagioclase
plagioclimax
plagiotropism
plague
plaguy
plaice
plaid
Plaid Cymru
plain
Click to move down the list of words
Also available:

World English Dictionary
Dictionnaire Français

placenta

pla·cen·ta [ plə séntə ] (plural pla·cen·tas or pla·cen·tae [ plə séntee ])


noun 
Definition:
 
1. anatomy organ in uterus of pregnant mammal: a vascular organ that develops inside the uterus of most pregnant mammals to supply food and oxygen to the fetus through the umbilical cord. It is expelled after birth.

2. botany part of ovary of plant: the part of the ovary in a flowering plant that bears ovules

3. botany spore-bearing mass of tissue: the tissue in a nonflowering plant where the sporangia or spores develop

[Late 17th century. < Latin, "cake" < Greek plakous "flat cake" < plak- "flat surface"]

pla·cen·tal adjective, noun
pla·cen·ta·ry adjective
Advertisement

© 2009 Microsoft