Standard Lemma guide

medulla

noun · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /məˈdʌlə/
  • /mɛˈdʌlə/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: /məˈdulə/
  • US:
  • CMU ARPABET: M IH0 D AH1 L AH0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: M IH0 D UW1 L AH0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The soft inner part of something, especially the pith of a fruit.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The inner substance of various organs and structures, especially the marrow of bones.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: anatomy, medicine, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

The medulla oblongata.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: anatomy, medicine, neuroanatomy, neurology, neuroscience, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

The internal tissue of a plant.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: biology, botany, natural-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

the inner part of an organ or structure in plant or animal

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: cortex

Broader terms: animal tissue, plant tissue

Narrower terms: adrenal medulla

6

noun

Meaning 6

lower or hindmost part of the brain; continuous with spinal cord; (`bulb' is an old term for medulla oblongata)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the medulla oblongata is the most vital part of the brain because it contains centers controlling breathing and heart functioning

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: medulla oblongata, bulb

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: neural structure

7

noun

Meaning 7

a white fatty substance that forms a medullary sheath around the axis cylinder of some nerve fibers

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: myelin, myeline

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: fat

History

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin medulla (“pith, marrow”), perhaps from medius (“middle”).

Across languages

Translations

21 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 髓质 (suǐzhì) — the inner substance of various organs and structures, especially the marrow of bones
  • Chinese Mandarin: 髓 (suǐ) — the inner substance of various organs and structures, especially the marrow of bones
  • Esperanto: medolo — the inner substance of various organs and structures, especially the marrow of bones
  • Hindi: मज्जा (majjā) — the inner substance of various organs and structures, especially the marrow of bones
  • Hindi: अस्थि मज्जा (asthi majjā) — the inner substance of various organs and structures, especially the marrow of bones
  • Hindi: गूदा (gūdā) — the inner substance of various organs and structures, especially the marrow of bones
  • Japanese: 髄 (zui) — the inner substance of various organs and structures, especially the marrow of bones
  • Northern Kurdish: kirok — the inner substance of various organs and structures, especially the marrow of bones
  • Old Polish: drzeń — the inner substance of various organs and structures, especially the marrow of bones
  • Russian: медула (medula) — the inner substance of various organs and structures, especially the marrow of bones
  • Sicilian: miduḍḍa — the inner substance of various organs and structures, especially the marrow of bones
  • Spanish: médula — the inner substance of various organs and structures, especially the marrow of bones
  • Spanish: medula — the inner substance of various organs and structures, especially the marrow of bones
  • Bulgarian: продълговат мозък (prodǎlgovat mozǎk) — the medulla oblongata
  • French: moelle allongée — the medulla oblongata
  • Northern Kurdish: lakêşemox — the medulla oblongata
  • Polish: rdzeń przedłużony — the medulla oblongata
  • Russian: продолговатый мозг (prodolgovatyj mozg) — the medulla oblongata
  • Sicilian: miduḍḍa — the medulla oblongata
  • Bulgarian: сърцевина (sǎrcevina) — The internal tissue of a plant
  • Sicilian: cori — The internal tissue of a plant