villous

1. Biology. Of, relating to, resembling, or covered with villi.
2. Botany. Covered with soft, shaggy unmatted hairs.

[From Latin villōsus, hairy, from villus, shaggy hair.]

Of, relating to, resembling, or covered with villi.

Pertaining to or emanating from villi.

• v. atrophy — reduction in size of the villi of the intestinal mucosa caused for example by invasion by enteric viruses such as rotavirus and coronavirus. The atrophy is the result of loss of the epithelial cells of the villus. Digestion is impaired leading to a syndrome of diarrhea and bulky feces.