alula

[ al-yuh-luh ]

noun,plural al·u·lae

[al-yuh-lee]. /ˈæl yəˌli/.

Also called bastard wing, spurious wing. the group of three to six small, rather stiff feathers growing on the first digit, pollex, or thumb of a bird's wing.
a membranous lobe at the base of each wing of a dipterous insect.

Origin of alula

1765–75; <New Latin, equivalent to Latin āl(a) wing + -ula-ule

Other words from alula

al·u·lar, adjective

Words Nearby alula

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

How to use alula in a sentence

Axillary lobe: the sclerite covering the base of the wing in Diptera; see also alula and posterior lobe.
Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology | John. B. Smith
Axillary incision: Diptera; an incision on inner margin of wing, near base, which separates the alula from the main part.
Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology | John. B. Smith
On the 23rd of September Ras alula attacked him there with an equal number of men and routed him with great slaughter.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 1 | Various
Ras alula beat a hurried retreat, leaving the camp in the hands of his enemies.
Fire and Sword in the Sudan | Rudolf C. Slatin
Dead and wounded alike were horribly mutilated by order of alula.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 15, Slice 1 | Various

British Dictionary definitions for alula

alula

/ (ˈæljʊlə) /

nounplural -lae (-liː)

another name for bastard wing

Origin of alula

C18: New Latin: a little wing, from Latin āla a wing

Derived forms of alula

alular, adjective

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

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