areola
/əˈriːələ
/noun (plural areolae /əˈriːəliː/)
1 Anatomy A small circular area, in particular the ring of pigmented skin surrounding a nipple.They are encircled by a pigmented ring called the areola, and surrounded by nerve endings and blood vessels....
- Most of the breast tissue in a man is concentrated in the area immediately behind the nipple and areola.
- As reported in The Journal of Family Practice, a patient complained of itching that had lasted for about six months in and near an areola, but a clinical examination turned up no skin changes or other reason for the itching.
1.1 Biology Any of the small spaces between lines or cracks on a leaf or an insect’s wing.On the valve surface the areolae are grouped together in fascicles bordered by distinct radial lines....
- The areolae on the valve are usually too small to be distinguishable with the light microscope.
- The cell surface is ornamented with pores or areolae with poroid centers, sometimes in species-specific patterns.
1.2 Medicine A reddened patch around a spot or papule.
Derivatives
areolar
- For capsule contracture, ‘We have done a capsulotomy through the belly button, although it's more difficult than the areolar approach.’
- The ventral paratenon consists of fatty mesenteric-like areolar tissue that is rich in blood vessels that nourish the tendon.
- They may be located within the thorax embedded in thymic tissue, in the posterior mediastinum, and in the areolar tissue associated with the pericardium.
areolate
- The surface of the cell is coarsely areolate, with a pore in each areole.
- This area in June of 1988 was not noted to contain any obvious areolate plants but did contain them in 1989.
- Loss of indusium, dimorphism, areolate venation, and reduced blade dissection have occurred repeatedly along many evolutionary lines in Dryopteridaceae.
Origin
Mid 17th century (in the sense 'small space or interstice'): from Latin, literally 'small open space', diminutive of area (see area).