Membrane Meaning
/ˈmɛm.bɹeɪn/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA flexible enclosing or separating tissue forming a plane or film and separating two environments.
nounA flexible enclosing or separating tissue forming a plane or film and separating two environments., A mechanical, thin, flat flexible part that can deform or vibrate when excited by an external force.
Sentence Examples
Reverse osmosis consists in forcing seawater through a membrane that filters out the salt.
The mucous membrane is very sensitive.
The doctor has taken a swab from the mucous membrane.
CEFR Practice Quiz
In biology class, we learned that the cell ____ controls what enters and exits the cell.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The thin ____ protects the inner parts of the cell and regulates what can enter and leave it.
Word Origin & History
Late Middle English, borrowed from Latin membrāna (“skin or membrane that covers parts of the body”), from membrum (“a limb or member of the body”) + -āna. Doublet of membrana.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"The animal was breathing oxygen that permeated from the water through panels of membrane while carbon dioxide and other unwanted gases moved in the opposite direction—from the animal's enclosed atmosphere into the water."
— 1964 October 2, “SYNTHETIC FILM CAN ACT AS GILL; Silicone Rubber Membrane Is Announced by G. E.”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 23 Nov 2025:
"Then they backed the membrane with a gel matrix containing a perfluorocarbon (PFC) propellant and fluorescent "nanobullets" about a micron wide, and hit it with ultrasound."
— 2016 January 14, Jessica Hall, “Nanoengineers build 'microcannons' that fire light-up bullets filled with drugs”, in ExtremeTech:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
In biology class, we learned that the cell ____ controls what enters and exits the cell.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The thin ____ protects the inner parts of the cell and regulates what can enter and leave it.