- a blocklike segment of mesodermal tissue in the vertebrate embryo, giving rise to muscle, bone, etc.
Origin of somite; from soma + -ite
- Any of the homologous segments that compose the body of certain animals, such as earthworms and lobsters, and are arranged in a longitudinal series.
- A segmental mass of mesoderm in the vertebrate embryo, occurring in pairs along the notochord and developing into muscles and vertebrae.
Origin of somiteGreek s&omacron;ma, body; see soma1 + –ite1.