Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary · 1913

(Anatomy) The delicate connective tissue framework which supports the nervous matter and blood vessels of the brain and spinal cord; called also Kolliker's reticulum. It is composed of cells which are not neurons. Once thought to serve merely a supporting function, they are now believed to have important metabolic functions. Among them are the astrocytes, ependymal cells, oligodendroglia cells, and microglia cells. — Stedman