aculeus

[ uh-kyoo-lee-uhs ]

/ əˈkyu li əs /

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noun, plural a·cu·le·i

[uh-kyoo-lee-ahy]. /əˈkyu liˌaɪ/.

Also acus. the modified ovipositor or sting of certain hymenopterous insects.

prickle (def. 2).

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In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

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Origin of aculeus

1820–30; <Latin: sting, barb, equivalent to acu(s) needle + -leus noun suffix

Words nearby aculeus

act warning, acuate, Acuff, acuity, aculeate, aculeus, acultural, acumen, acuminate, acupoint, acupressure

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use aculeus in a sentence

The pastinaca oxyrinchus with a long and strong aculeus in the tayle conceued of speciall venome and virtues.
The Works of Sir Thomas Browne|Thomas Browne
Lister refers to a specimen in 1686 as "Piscis triangularis capiti cornutu cui e media cauda cutanea aculeus longus erigitus."
A Guide to the Study of Fishes, Volume 1 (of 2)|David Starr Jordan

British Dictionary definitions for aculeus

aculeus

/ (əˈkjuːlɪəs) /

noun

a prickle or spine, such as the thorn of a rose

a sting or ovipositor

Word Origin for aculeus

C19: from Latin, diminutive of acus needle

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