1. Anatomy. The tissue characteristic of an organ, as distinguished from associated connective or supporting tissues.
2. Botany. The primary tissue of higher plants, composed of thin-walled cells and forming the greater part of leaves, roots, the pulp of fruit, and the pith of stems.

[New Latin, from Greek parenkhuma, visceral flesh, from parenkhein, to pour in beside : para-, beside; see para-¹ + en-, in + khein, to pour.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.