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ep·i·trich·i·um .ep-ə-'trik-ē-əm n an outer layer of the epidermis of the fetus of many mammals beneath which the hair develops
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n.
the most superficial layer of the skin, one cell in thickness, that is only present early in embryonic development. It protects the underlying epidermis until it is fully formed.
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ep·i·trich·i·um (ep″ĭ-trikґe-əm) [epi- + Gr. trichion hair] periderm (def. 1).Medical dictionary. 2011.