ENGLISH
REFERENCE

tissue

n. C / U
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford US //ˈtɪsˌju// UK //tˈɪʃuː// tis·sue General-service Slang

n. a group of similar cells that work together to do a specific job in a living thing. It can also mean a soft piece of paper used for cleaning your nose.

n. a group of biological cells that perform a specific function within an organism. In a non-biological context, refers to a thin, soft, disposable piece of paper used for personal hygiene.


SIMPLE

Muscle tissue helps your body move.

CONTEXTUAL

The doctor took a small sample of skin tissue to check if the cells were healthy.

COMPLEX

The regenerative properties of certain plant tissues allow them to recover from significant physical damage that would be fatal to more complex animal organisms.

Synonyms
Origin

From Middle English tissu, from Old French tissu (“woven”), past participle of tistre (“to weave”), from Latin texō (“to weave”).

Usage

Uncountable when referring to biological matter in general; countable when referring to a specific type of biological material or a single paper handkerchief.

© 2026 English Reference