areole

American

[air-ee-ohl] / ˈɛər iˌoʊl /

noun

Biology.

an areola.

areole British

/ ˈærɪəʊl /

noun

biology a space outlined on a surface, such as an area between veins on a leaf or on an insect's wing
a sunken area on a cactus from which spines, hairs, etc, arise

"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

areolate

adjective

Etymology

Origin of areole

1855–60; < French aréole < Latin āreola a small open space. See areola

Example Sentences

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See Examples For:

areole

Tubercles dark green, conical, 1/3 in. long, ½ in. broad at base, naked at the point, but with four to six spines springing from the areole a little below the point; spines ash-coloured, stiff, black-tipped.

From Cactus Culture for Amateurs Being Descriptions of the Various Cactuses Grown in This Country, With Full and Practical Instructions for Their Successful Cultivation by W. Watson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023