"outer membrane of the fetus," 1540s, medical Latin, from Greek khorion "membrane enclosing the fetus, afterbirth," from PIE root *ghere- "gut, entrail." Related: Chorionic.
Entries linking to chorion
*ghere-
*gherə-, Proto-Indo-European root meaning "gut, entrail."
It forms all or part of: Chordata; chordate; chord (n.2) "structure in animals resembling a string;" chorion; cord; cordon; harpsichord; haruspex; hernia; notochord; yarn.
It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Sanskrit hira "vein; band;" Latin hernia "rupture;" Greek khorde "intestine, gut-string;" Lithuanian žarna "guts, leather bag;" Old English gearn, Old High German garn "yarn" (originally made of dried gut), Old Norse gorn "gut."
choroid adj.
"like a chorion, membranous," 1680s, from Latinized form of Greek khoroeides, a corruption of khorioeides, from khorion (see chorion) + eidos "resemblance" (see -oid). Related: Choroidal.