Pannellus

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A thin, flat layer or patch of tissue, especially one seen as a superficial membrane; a spreading inflammation of connective tissue over a surface; a kind of trailing garment or cloak worn loosely
2. A delicate or superficial membrane-like covering of tissue; an extensive inflammatory growth spreading over a surface; a loose outer cloak or garment often trailing behind the wearer
3. A broad, thin sheet of tissue resembling a membrane; an inflammatory film spreading across a surface such as the cornea; a type of flowing outer garment or mantle that drapes gracefully

Etymology: In Latin, "pannus" meant a piece of cloth, a rag, or a scrap of worn fabric. The diminutive "pannellus" meant a little scrap or patch of cloth, which explains the image behind its medical sense. A thin layer of tissue spreading over a surface looks much like a cloth laid across it. The clearest modern echo is in ophthalmology, where "pannus" names a film of new blood vessels and inflamed tissue that grows across the cornea. The idea is still the patch: something thin and unevenly spread, laid over a surface it was never meant to cover. The sense of a loose, trailing cloak comes from the same cloth root, since a garment made from a fabric scrap could be worn draped and loose.

Synonyms: fungal growth, mycelial mat, fungus