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Synonyms

acicular

American  
[uh-sik-yuh-ler] / əˈsɪk jə lər /

adjective

  1. shaped like a needle.

  2. Metallurgy.

    1. (of cast iron) containing ferrite in a needlelike form.

    2. (of an alloy) having a microstructure of needlelike components.


Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of acicular

First recorded in 1785–95; acicul(a) + -ar 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.

See Examples For:

The crystals are usually small and are prismatic or acicular in habit; they have a perfect cleavage parallel to the face lettered a in the adjoining figure.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 3 "Brescia" to "Bulgaria" by Various

Spher′ūle, a little sphere; Spher′ūlite, a radiating spherical group of minute acicular crystals common in silicious volcanic rocks.—adjs.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements) by Various

These brown-coloured, compact lavas, consist almost entirely of small glimmering scales, or of minute acicular crystals, of feldspar, placed close by the side of each other, and abounding with minute black specks, apparently of hornblende.

From Volcanic Islands by Charles Darwin

One, named Einerguendi by Brown, consisted of compact felspar, coloured green by chlorite, with grains of quartz and acicular crystals of felspar.

From Three Expeditions into the Interior of Eastern Australia, Volume 1 by Thomas Mitchell

Besides inulin, C12H20O10, a body isomeric with starch, the root contains helenin, C6H8O, a stearoptene, which may be prepared in white acicular crystals, insoluble in water, but freely soluble in alcohol.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 2 "Ehud" to "Electroscope" by Various

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