parenchyma Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun animal tissue that constitutes the essential part of an organ as contrasted with e.g. connective tissue and blood vessels
  2. noun the primary tissue of higher plants composed of thin-walled cells that remain capable of cell division even when mature; constitutes the greater part of leaves, roots, the pulp of fruits, and the pith of stems

WordNet

Pa*ren"chy*ma noun
Etymology
NL., from Gr. , fr. to pour in beside; beside + in + to pour: cf. F. parenchyme.
Definitions
  1. (Biol.) The soft celluar substance of the tissues of plants and animals, like the pulp of leaves, to soft tissue of glands, and the like.

Webster 1913