mening(o)-
The meninges.
[Greek mēninx, mēning-, membrane.]
The meninges are the membranes that line the skull and enclose the brain and spinal cord; meningitis is an often severe disease involving inflammation of them, perhaps caused by the bacterium meningococcus (Greek kokkos, berry); a meningocele (Greek kēlē, tumour) is a protrusion of the meninges through a gap in the spine due to a congenital defect.
Visit Michael Quinion’s World Wide Words site for 2000+ articles on English!
Copyright © Michael Quinion 2008–. All rights reserved. Page last updated 23 September 2008.
Your comments and suggestions on the site are very welcome.