n., pl., -ta (-tə).
A thin partition or membrane that divides two cavities or soft masses of tissue in an organism: the nasal septum; the atrial septum of the heart.
[New Latin sēptum, from Latin saeptum, partition, from neuter past participle of saepīre, to enclose, from saepēs, fence.]
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.
