retinaculum
Americannoun
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Anatomy, Zoology. any of various small structures that hook, clasp, or bind other structures to move them or hold them in place.
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Entomology. a bristle on the butterfly forewing that clasps to the frenulum of the hindwing.
noun
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connection or retention or something that connects or retains
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zoology a small hook that joins the forewing and hind wing of a moth during flight
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of retinaculum
1815–25; < New Latin; Latin retināculum tether, rope which holds fast or restrains, equivalent to retin ( ēre ) to hold fast, retain + -ā- (from v. stems ending in -ā-; cf. gubernaculum) + -culum -cule 2
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.
The walls and floor of the carpal tunnel are formed by the U-shaped grouping of the carpal bones, and the roof is formed by the flexor retinaculum, a strong ligament that anteriorly unites the bones.
From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013
The carpal bones, together with the flexor retinaculum, also form the carpal tunnel of the wrist.
From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013
A strong ligament called the flexor retinaculum spans the top of this U-shaped area to maintain this grouping of the carpal bones.
From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013
Loop: applied to that structure at base of innerside of primaries into which the frenulum of male moths is fitted: see retinaculum.
From Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology by Smith, John. B.
The retinaculum is not correctly represented in this figure, it arises from the anterior side of the sub-costal nervure.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
