villus
noun /ˈvɪləs/
/ˈvɪləs/
(plural villi
(biology) /ˈvɪlaɪ/, /ˈvɪliː/
/ˈvɪlaɪ/, /ˈvɪliː/
)- any one of the many small, thin parts, like fingers in shape, that stick out from some surfaces on the inside of the body (for example in the intestine). Villi increase the area of these surfaces so that the body can take in substances more easily.Word Originearly 18th cent.: from Latin, literally ‘shaggy hair’.