Commissures

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Points of junction where two anatomical parts or structures join, such as the corners of the lips or the joints between brain tissues
2. The seams or joining points where two parts of the body or other structures come together
3. Junctions or meeting places where two distinct structures, especially in the body, are joined along a line or seam

Etymology: "Commissures" is the plural of "commissure," a term for a joining line or seam, especially where two parts meet, as in the lips of the mouth or the edges of the brain's structures. The singular comes from Latin "commissura," meaning a joining or connecting together. That Latin noun was formed from "commissus," the past participle of "committo," meaning to join or connect, with the suffix "-ura," which forms nouns of result or state. So the core idea is literally a thing that has been joined, a seam. "Committo" is itself built from "com-," meaning together, and "mittere," to send or put, giving the sense of putting things together, which is also the root behind English "commit."

Synonyms: junction, joint, seam