cor|tex

cor|tex «KR tehks», noun, plural -ti|ces.

1. a) the layer of gray matter that covers most of the surface of the brain; cerebral cortex. b) the outer layer of an internal organ: »

the cortex of the kidney.

c) the adrenal cortex: »

The cortex, properly stimulated, secretes hormones that control many activities of the body, including growth and reproduction (Time).

2. a) that part of the tissue of the roots and stems of plants which in trees becomes the bark. The cortex in all higher plants lies outside the vascular tissue and inside the epidermis. b) an outer layer of cells (in certain algae, fungi, and lichens).

3. a) the bark of a tree. b) the rind of a fruit.

╂[< Latin cortex, -icis bark]