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amphicelous

or am·phi·coe·lous

[am-fuh-see-luh s]
See more synonyms for amphicelous on Thesaurus.com
adjective Anatomy, Zoology.
  1. concave on both sides, as the bodies of the vertebrae of fishes.
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Origin of amphicelous

First recorded in 1865–70, amphicelous is from the Greek word amphíkoilos hollow at both ends. See amphi-, -cele2, -ous
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for amphicoelous

Historical Examples

  • The vertebrae are amphicoelous, and are generally well ossified.

    The Vertebrate Skeleton

    Sidney H. Reynolds

  • The end result is an amphicoelous or biconcave centrum in general appearance much like that of the Selachian.

  • The vertebrae are amphicoelous or sometimes nearly flat, and the notochord sometimes persists to some extent.

    The Vertebrate Skeleton

    Sidney H. Reynolds

  • The neck is long, the caudal vertebrae are amphicoelous, and from three to five vertebrae are fused together in the sacral region.

    The Vertebrate Skeleton

    Sidney H. Reynolds

British Dictionary definitions for amphicoelous

amphicoelous

adjective
  1. (of the vertebrae of most fishes and some amphibians) concave at the anterior and posterior ends
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Word Origin

C19: from amphi- + Greek koilos hollow
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