dura : Idioms & Phrases

Index

dura mater

  • noun the outermost (and toughest) of the 3 meninges
    dura.
WordNet
Du"ra ma"ter
Etymology
L., lit., hard mother. The membrane was called mater, or mother, because it was formerly thought to give rise to every membrane of the body.
Definitions
  1. (Anat.) The tough, fibrous membrane, which lines the cavity of the skull and spinal column, and surrounds the brain and spinal cord; -- frequently abbreviated to dura.
Webster 1913

pietra dura

Pi*e"tra du"ra
Etymology
It., hard stone.
Definitions
  1. (Fine Arts) Hard and fine stones in general, such as are used for inlay and the like, as distinguished from the softer stones used in building; thus, a Florentine mosaic is a familiar instance of work in pietra dura, though the ground may be soft marble.
Webster 1913