lamella

IPA/ləˈmel.ə/
IPA/ləˈmel.ə/

lamella — noun

  • lamellasingular
  • lamellasplural

1. a very thin flat part found inside the body, especially in tissue, bone, or teet

1.nounC2
Definition

a very thin flat part found inside the body, especially in tissue, bone, or teeth

Example

The dentist showed Jason a dark lamella in the cracked tooth.

dental use: thin body layer in a tooth

Under the microscope, Aylin traced each bone lamella around the canal.

anatomy pattern: bone lamella around a canal

Common collocations
  • bone lamella
  • dental lamella
  • lamellae around the canal
Synonyms
  • layer

    broader everyday word without the technical body sense

  • membrane

    usually refers to a soft body sheet rather than any thin internal plate

Usage Note

Common in anatomy and dentistry; writers often use the plural lamellae when several layers are described.

2. a very thin piece inside a material, especially in rock or minerals

2.nounC2
Definition

a very thin piece inside a material, especially in rock or minerals

Example

Geologists found a bright lamella of mica in the cliff.

geology use: thin plate in a mineral

Hiro split the shale and exposed a silver lamella.

Common collocations
  • mica lamella
  • quartz lamella
  • rock lamella
Synonyms
  • layer

    more general and less technical

  • plate

    suggests a flat solid piece rather than a scientific label

  • sheet

    common word for a thin flat piece, not specifically geological

Usage Note

Mostly seen in geology and materials writing for thin parts inside rock, crystal, or metal samples.

3. one of the narrow gills under a mushroom cap that make spores

3.nounC2
Definition

one of the narrow gills under a mushroom cap that make spores

Example

Noa lifted the cap and counted each white lamella underneath.

mycology use: gill under a mushroom cap

The guide said bruised lamellae can help identify the mushroom.

plural form: lamellae in mushroom guides

Common collocations
  • white lamella
  • bruised lamellae
  • lamella under the cap
Synonyms
  • gill

    the usual non-technical word in mushroom guides

Usage Note

Mostly used in mycology; general guides may say gills, while scientific writing prefers lamella or lamellae.

Word family

  • lamellar
    adjectiveC2
  • lamina
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

For noun/2, lamella is much more technical than layer, sheet, plate, or flake. Layer is the broad everyday word for one thin part over or within another material. Sheet often suggests a larger flexible piece, while plate usually sounds more solid and geometric. Flake often means a small piece that has broken off. Lamella is the best choice in geology, mineral study, or lab writing when you need to name a thin flat piece inside a rock, crystal, or similar sample. A teacher might say, "The rock has several thin layers," but a geology report is more likely to mention "a mica lamella" or "quartz lamellae".

layer ↗sheet ↗plate ↗flake ↗

Etymology

LatinNew LatinEnglish

Lamella came into English from Latin lamella, a word for a small plate or thin blade. It is related to lamina, meaning a sheet or layer. That history still matches the modern uses of lamella for thin flat parts in the body, in minerals, and under mushroom caps.