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alula

American  
[al-yuh-luh] / ˈæl yə lə /

noun

plural

alulae
  1. Also called spurious wing.  Also called bastard wing.  the group of three to six small, rather stiff feathers growing on the first digit, pollex, or thumb of a bird's wing.

  2. a membranous lobe at the base of each wing of a dipterous insect.


alula British  
/ ˈæljʊlə /

noun

  1. another name for bastard wing

"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

  • alular adjective

Etymology

Origin of alula

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

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.

Well, they look exactly like gulls with lengthened legs and… no alulae.

From Scientific American

Lobulus: the partly separated portion of the wings of some flies and of secondaries in some Hymenoptera: also used as = alula; q.v.

From Project Gutenberg

But how can you be absolutely sure that they don’t have alulae in the reconstruction?

From Scientific American

Alulet: Diptera: the lobe at basal posterior part of wing; = alar appendage; posterior lobe: and has been used as = alula.

From Project Gutenberg

Axillary incision: Diptera; an incision on inner margin of wing, near base, which separates the alula from the main part.

From Project Gutenberg