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Glite Dictionary
chorionic villus

chorionic villus

1 9.9
A small finger-like growth on the fetus that helps pass food and oxygen from the mother to the developing baby
  • noun
  • /ˌkɔːriˈɒnɪk ˈvɪləs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : vellosidad coriónica
  • chorionic villus sampling
  • chorionic villus test

Examples

  • Although techniques such as chorionic villus sampling and early amniocentesis have allowed earlier diagnosis, by the time results of midtrimester amniocentesis or ultrasound are available, a woman may be beyond 20 weeks' gestation.

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  • The doctor explained that a chorionic villus can provide important information about the baby's health early in the pregnancy.

  • During her first trimester, she learned about chorionic villus sampling as a way to assess the genetic health of her baby.

  • This sampling procedure allows the obstetrician to obtain a small amount of fetal chorionic villus tissue for analysis.

Surface Forms

chorionic villus singular
chorionic villi plural

Morphology

chorionic + villus

Both constituents are semantically transparent: 'chorionic' means 'of the chorion (membrane around the embryo)' and 'villus' means 'a small projection', so a learner who knows both would naturally infer 'a small projection of the chorion' that participates in placental formation. Although the term is technical and domain-specific, its meaning is directly compositional and follows common medical noun–noun naming patterns, making it understandable to someone who knows the parts.

Etymology

Chorionic villus comes from the parts chorion, meaning the baby's outer membrane, and villus, meaning a tiny, hair-like growth. These tiny, finger-like parts stick into the mother's tissue to help pass nutrients and oxygen to the baby, so the name refers to those small parts of the 'placenta'.