dura mater

Definition

The tough and inflexible outermost of the three layers of the meninges, enveloping the brain and spinal cord.

Etymology

First attested c. 1400, borrowing from Medieval Latin dūra māter (literally “firm, strict mother”), ellipsis of dūra māter cerebrī (literally “hard mother of the brain”), calque of Arabic أُمّ الدِّمَاغ الصَفِيقَة (ʔumm al-ddimāḡ aṣ-ṣafīqa, literally “thick mother of the brain”).

Example Sentences

• "Hmm, false membranes are adhering to the arachnoidian layer of the dura mater. I’m directing my gaze into a world of constant visibility. Where does it hurt?"