dermis

1 of 2

noun

der·​mis ˈdər-məs How to pronounce dermis (audio)
: the vascular, thick layer of the skin lying below the epidermis and above the superficial fascia that contains fibroblasts, macrophages, mast cells, B cells, and sensory nerve endings and has an extracellular matrix composed of proteoglycans and glycoproteins embedded with collagen and elastin fibers

called also corium, cutis

see hair illustration

-dermis

2 of 2

noun combining form

: layer of skin or tissue
endodermis

Examples of dermis in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Beneath the epidermis is the dermis, which contains blood vessels, nerves, and structures like hair follicles and sweat glands. — New Atlas, 6 Oct. 2025 Safely rub homemade mixture into your skin when showering, and voila — dead skin doesn’t stand a chance against this dermis-friendly concoction. — Joey Skladany, Southern Living, 17 June 2026 This provides the practitioner with visuals of the skin’s dermis, epidermis, and tissue layers—a view that is unique to the device. — Audrey Noble, Allure, 23 Oct. 2025 May Improve Skin Collagen is the main component of the dermis (the inner layer of the skin). — Ayesha Gulzar, Verywell Health, 15 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dermis

Word History

Etymology

Noun

New Latin, from Late Latin -dermis

Noun combining form

Late Latin, from Greek, from derma

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1830, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dermis was circa 1830

Rhymes for dermis

See All Rhymes for dermis

Browse Nearby Words

-dermia
dermis
-dermis
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dermis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dermis. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

dermis

noun
der·​mis ˈdər-məs How to pronounce dermis (audio)
: the sensitive inner layer of skin directly under the epidermis

Medical Definition

dermis

noun
der·​mis ˈdər-məs How to pronounce dermis (audio)
: the vascular, thick layer of the skin lying below the epidermis and above the superficial fascia that contains fibroblasts, macrophages, mast cells, B cells, and sensory nerve endings and has an extracellular matrix composed of proteoglycans and glycoproteins embedded with collagen and elastin fibers

called also corium, cutis, cutis vera, derma

More from Merriam-Webster on dermis

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dermis

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All