frenulum
Americannoun
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Anatomy, Zoology. a small frenum.
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Entomology. a strong spine or group of bristles on the hindwing of many butterflies and moths, projecting beneath the forewing and serving to hold the two wings together in flight.
noun
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a strong bristle or group of bristles on the hind wing of some moths and other insects, by which the forewing and hind wing are united during flight
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a small fraenum
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of frenulum
First recorded in 1890–95; New Latin, from frēn(um) frenum + -ulum, neuter of -ulus -ule
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In infancy, a type of tongue-tie where the frenulum attaches all the way to the front of the tongue and severely restricts its movement has been treated for hundreds of years.
From Salon • Sep. 25, 2021
Cutting the frenulum could even make sleep worse, Baldassari says.
From Salon • Sep. 25, 2021
A fold of mucous membrane on the underside of the tongue, the lingual frenulum, tethers the tongue to the floor of the mouth.
From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013
People with the congenital anomaly ankyloglossia, also known by the non-medical term “tongue tie,” have a lingual frenulum that is too short or otherwise malformed.
From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013
Frenatae: that series of Lepidoptera in which a more or less well- marked frenulum occurs.
From Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology by Smith, John. B.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
