noun
tissue
TIHS-yoo
noun
1
A soft, absorbent piece of paper used for blowing your nose or wiping up small messes.
"She grabbed a tissue to wipe her nose."
"He kept a box of tissues by his desk during flu season."
2
A group of similar cells in a plant or animal that work together to perform a particular function.
"The biopsy sample contained healthy muscle tissue."
3
A complex, connected structure of interwoven parts, used figuratively.
"The alibi turned out to be a tissue of lies."
How to Use Tissue
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither soft paper for wiping, or a biological group of cells, or (figuratively) a web of interconnected things, often lies.
Common pairings
tissue paper
scar tissue
a tissue of lies
Word Forms
tissued past tense, tissues plural, tissues singular
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She grabbed a _____ to wipe her nose.
Etymology
From Old French tissu, "woven," from a Latin verb meaning "to weave."