amphicelous

or am·phi·coe·lous

[ am-fuh-see-luh s ]

/ ˌæm fəˈsi ləs /

adjective Anatomy, Zoology.

concave on both sides, as the bodies of the vertebrae of fishes.

Nearby words

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. 2019

Examples from the Web for amphicoelous

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
The vertebrae are amphicoelous, and are generally well ossified.
The Vertebrate Skeleton|Sidney H. Reynolds
The vertebrae are amphicoelous or sometimes nearly flat, and the notochord sometimes persists to some extent.
The Vertebrate Skeleton|Sidney H. Reynolds
The end result is an amphicoelous or biconcave centrum in general appearance much like that of the Selachian.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 14, Slice 3|Various

British Dictionary definitions for amphicoelous

amphicoelous

/ (ˌæmfɪˈsiːləs) /

adjective

(of the vertebrae of most fishes and some amphibians) concave at the anterior and posterior ends

Word Origin for amphicoelous

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