Dural

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈdjʊə.ɹəl/

Definitions

1. A fibrous tissue found in the protective membranes enveloping the brain and spinal cord that serves as a crucial layer for safeguarding the central nervous system
2. Relating to a tough membrane that forms a protective outer layer for the brain and spinal column, essential for their defense
3. A dense protective layer of fibrous tissue that surrounds the brain and spinal cord to shield the central nervous system ; describing something associated with or derived from the tough outer membrane protecting the brain and spinal cord

Etymology: "Dural" is formed simply by attaching the English suffix "-al" to "dura," the first part of the Latin phrase "dura mater," meaning "hard mother." The Latin name was a translation of the Arabic term for this membrane, and "dura" itself is the feminine form of the Latin adjective "durus," meaning "hard," which is why the membrane was named for its toughness. The adjective "-al" traces back through Old French and Latin "-ālis" to a Proto-Italic ancestor, so the suffix carries the sense "relating to." "Dural" therefore means "relating to the dura mater," the tough outer covering of the brain and spinal cord. Its ultimate source is Latin, though the English form was built within English from the Latin pieces.