Intima

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The innermost layer of various biological structures, especially in regards to blood vessels
2. A term commonly used to describe the internal lining of an organ or vessel in anatomical contexts
3. The deepest layer lining the interior of vessels and certain organs within the body

Etymology: "Intima" is the Latin feminine form of "intimus," meaning "innermost," and English borrowed it directly from Latin. The adjective "intimus" was formed from "intra," "within," with a superlative ending, so the sense is literally "most within." The Latin word was used as a noun in its own right, referring to the innermost part of something, and English anatomists adopted it for the delicate inner layer of an organ or vessel, the membrane that lines the hollow spaces of the body. The word thus carries a spatial idea into the body. Its close English relative, "intimate," comes from the same Latin adjective but took a different route, moving from "innermost" toward "closest" and eventually toward personal familiarity. "Intima" kept the original anatomical sense, so the two words share a root but ended up describing very different kinds of closeness.