Meanings
plural parenchymas · plural parenchymata
- countableuncountableanatomyThe functional tissue of an organ as distinguished from the connective and supporting tissue.
Previously blood and air had been thought to mingle freely in the fleshy parenchyma of the lungs, but the microscope now revealed the membranous alveoli at the ends of the tracheo-bronchial ramifications.
1997, Roy Porter, The Greatest Benefit to Mankind, Folio Society, published 2016, page 217 - countableuncountablebiologyCellular tissue lying between the body wall and the organs of invertebrate animals lacking a coelom, such as flatworms.
[I]n a Sponge, the Parenchyma, it seems, is but a kind of mucous gelly, which is very easily and cleerly wash'd away.
1665, Robert Hooke, Micrographia, section XXII
Synonyms & antonyms
Origin
- Ancient Greekπαρέγχῠμα“anything poured in beside”
- Englishparenchyma
From Ancient Greek παρέγχῠμα (parénkhŭma, “anything poured in beside”), from πᾰρᾰ- (pără-, “beside”) + ἔγχῠμα (énkhŭma, “instillation, content of a vessel”), given by the Greek anatomist Erasistratus to the peculiar substance of the lungs, liver, kidneys, and spleen, as if formed separately by the veins that run into them. By surface analysis, para- + -enchyma.
More words from Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan parènquima
- parènquimafunctional part of an organ, as opposed to supporting tissue
Chinese Mandarin 實質 /实质, 薄壁組織 /薄壁组织
- 實質 /实质 (shízhì)functional part of an organ, as opposed to supporting tissue
- 薄壁組織 /薄壁组织 (báobì zǔzhī)functional part of an organ, as opposed to supporting tissue
Czech parenchym
- parenchymfunctional part of an organ, as opposed to supporting tissue
Finnish parenkyymi, perussolukko
- parenkyymifunctional part of an organ, as opposed to supporting tissue
- perussolukkofunctional part of an organ, as opposed to supporting tissue
French parenchyme
- parenchymefunctional part of an organ, as opposed to supporting tissue
German Parenchym
- Parenchymfunctional part of an organ, as opposed to supporting tissue
Greek παρέγχυμα
- παρέγχυμα (parénchyma)functional part of an organ, as opposed to supporting tissue
Hebrew פרנכימה
- פרנכימהfunctional part of an organ, as opposed to supporting tissue
Indonesian parenkim
- parenkimfunctional part of an organ, as opposed to supporting tissue
Italian parenchima
- parenchimafunctional part of an organ, as opposed to supporting tissue
Norwegian Bokmål parenkym
- parenkymfunctional part of an organ, as opposed to supporting tissue
Persian پارانشیم, نرمآگنه
- پارانشیم (pârânšim)functional part of an organ, as opposed to supporting tissue
- نرمآگنه (narm-âgane)functional part of an organ, as opposed to supporting tissue
Portuguese parênquima
- parênquimafunctional part of an organ, as opposed to supporting tissue
Romanian parenchim
- parenchimfunctional part of an organ, as opposed to supporting tissue
Russian паренхи́ма
- паренхи́ма (parɛnxíma)functional part of an organ, as opposed to supporting tissue
Spanish parénquima
- parénquimafunctional part of an organ, as opposed to supporting tissue
Swedish parenkym
- parenkymfunctional part of an organ, as opposed to supporting tissue
Tagalog mulsihayan
- mulsihayanfunctional part of an organ, as opposed to supporting tissue
Turkish parankima
- parankimafunctional part of an organ, as opposed to supporting tissue
Cite this entry
parenchyma. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/parenchyma
“parenchyma.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/parenchyma. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “parenchyma,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/parenchyma.
Source: parenchyma on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.