acicula

American

[uh-sik-yuh-luh] / əˈsɪk yə lə /

noun

plural

aciculae

a needlelike part; spine, bristle, or needlelike crystal.
a plural of aciculum.

acicula British

/ əˈsɪkjʊlə /

noun

a needle-shaped part, such as a spine, prickle, or crystal

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

acicular adjective

Etymology

Origin of acicula

1875–80; < New Latin, Late Latin, alteration of acucula ornamental pin, equivalent to Latin acu-, stem of acus needle ( acute ) + -cula -cule ¹

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.

The banks of Aripo are not the only localities, nor is the acicula the only mollusc, by which pearls are furnished.

From Project Gutenberg

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023