n. 1 any of the coherent collections of specialized cells of which animals or plants are made (muscular tissue; nervous tissue). 2 = tissue-paper. 3 a disposable piece of thin soft absorbent paper for wiping, drying, etc. 4 fine woven esp. gauzy fabric. 5 (foll. by of) a connected series (a tissue of lies). Phrases and idioms tissue-paper thin soft unsized paper for wrapping or protecting fragile or delicate articles. Etymology: ME f. OF tissu rich material, past part. of tistre f. L texere weave ...
Толковый словарь английского языка Oxford English Reference
noun Etymology: Middle English tysshewe, tyssew, a rich fabric, from Anglo-French ~, from past participle of tistre to weave, from Latin texere — more at technical Date: 1563 1. a. a fine lightweight often sheer fabric b. mesh, network, web a ~ of lies 2. a piece of soft absorbent ~ paper used especially as a handkerchief or for removing cosmetics 3. an aggregate of cells usually of a particular kind together with their intercellular substance that form one of the structural materials of a plant or an animal • ~y adjective ...
(tissues) Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. 1. In animals and plants, tissue consists of cells that are similar to each other in appearance and that have the same function. As we age we lose muscle tissue... N-UNCOUNT: also N in pl 2. Tissue or tissue paper is thin paper that is used for wrapping things that are easily damaged, such as objects made of glass or china. N-UNCOUNT 3. A tissue is a piece of thin soft paper that you use to blow your nose. ...a box of tissues. N-COUNT ...
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary
~ n 1 a piece of soft thin paper, used especially for blowing your nose on (a box of tissues) 2 also tissue paper light thin paper used for wrapping, packing etc 3 the material forming animal or plant cells (plant/lung/brain etc tissue) 4 a tissue of lies a story or account that is completely untrue ...
- c.1385, "band or belt of rich material," from O.Fr. tissu "a ribbon, headband, belt of woven material," noun use of tissu "woven, interlaced," pp. of tistre "to weave," from L. textere "weave." The biological sense is first recorded 1831. Tissue-paper is from 1777. ...