parenchyma

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
parenchyma /pəˈrɛŋkɪmə/

▶noun

• 1 Anatomy the functional tissue of an organ as distinguished from the connective and supporting tissue.

• 2 Botany the cellular tissue found in the softer parts of leaves, pulp of fruits, bark and pith of stems, etc.

– derivatives
parenchymal adjective (chiefly Anatomy),
parenchymatous adjective (chiefly Botany).

– origin C17: from Gk parenkhuma ‘something poured in besides’, from para- ‘beside’ + enkhuma ‘infusion’.