tissue

n. [ F. tissu, fr. tissu, p. p. of tisser, tistre, to weave, fr. L. texere. See Text. ] 1. A woven fabric. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A fine transparent silk stuff, used for veils, etc.; specifically, cloth interwoven with gold or silver threads, or embossed with figures. [ 1913 Webster ]

A robe of tissue, stiff with golden wire. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

In their glittering tissues bear emblazed
Holy memorials. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Biol.) One of the elementary materials or fibres, having a uniform structure and a specialized function, of which ordinary animals and plants are composed; a texture; as, epithelial tissue; connective tissue. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The term tissue is also often applied in a wider sense to all the materials or elementary tissues, differing in structure and function, which go to make up an organ; as, vascular tissue, tegumentary tissue, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Fig.: Web; texture; complicated fabrication; connected series; as, a tissue of forgeries, or of falsehood. [ 1913 Webster ]

Unwilling to leave the dry bones of Agnosticism wholly unclothed with any living tissue of religious emotion. A. J. Balfour. [ 1913 Webster ]

Tissue paper, very thin, gauzelike paper, used for protecting engravings in books, for wrapping up delicate articles, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]