What is "cancellous"

Cancellous \Can"cel*lous\, a. [Cf. L. cancellosus covered with bars.] (Anat.) Having a spongy or porous structure; made up of cancelli; cancellated; as, the cancellous texture of parts of many bones.

a. (context anatomy of bone English) Having low density and strength but high surface area, of the kind that fills the inner cavity of long bones.

adj. having an open or latticed or porous structure [syn: cancellate, cancellated]