bone marrow

noun

: a soft highly vascular modified connective tissue that occupies the cavities of most bones and occurs in two forms:

a

: one that is yellowish, consists chiefly of fat cells, and is found especially in the cavities of long bones

b

: one that is reddish, is the chief site of blood cell formation, and occurs in the normal adult in cancellous tissue especially of certain flat bones

called also red marrow

Examples of bone marrow in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Broad-spectrum antibiotics have numerous side effects, including liver inflammation, bone marrow suppression, and debilitating (and sometimes deadly) diarrhea from Clostridium difficile. —Judy Stone, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2025

Cytogenetic tests use blood, tissue, or bone marrow samples to look for chromosomal changes in your cells. —Carrie Madormo, Rn, Health, 21 Feb. 2025

Over the years, Gillispie School has collected more than 546 pints of blood, added many donors to the national bone marrow registry and raised $25,000 to support lifesaving initiatives. —Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Feb. 2025

Chemotherapy and radiation can sometimes disrupt bone marrow activity, and a bone marrow transplant may be necessary for the treatment of some bone marrow diseases. —Gagandeep Brar, Verywell Health, 14 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1590, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for bone marrow

• caballero
• mescalero
• aero
• faro
• garo
• narrow
• pharaoh
• sparrow
• taro
• bolero
• bracero
• estero

Kids Definition

bone marrow

noun

: a soft tissue rich in blood vessels that fills the cavities of most bones and occurs in two forms:

a

: one that is yellowish and fatty and is found especially in long bones (as the femur)

b

: one that is reddish, is the main place where blood cells are formed, and in adults is limited especially to certain flat or short bones (as the ribs)

Medical Definition

bone marrow

noun

: a soft highly vascular modified connective tissue that occupies the cavities and cancellous part of most bones and occurs in two forms:

a

: a whitish or yellowish bone marrow that consists chiefly of fat cells and is found especially in the cavities of the long bones

called also yellow marrow

b

: a reddish bone marrow that contains little fat, is the chief site of red blood cell and blood granulocyte formation, and occurs in the normal adult in cancellous tissue especially of certain flat bones

called also red marrow