fenestra

American  

[fi-nes-truh] / fɪˈnɛs trə /

noun

plural

fenestrae

1. Anatomy, Zoology. a small opening or perforation, as in a bone, especially between the middle and inner ear.

2. Entomology. a transparent spot in an otherwise opaque surface, as in the wings of certain butterflies and moths.

3. Architecture. a windowlike opening.

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fenestra British  

/ fɪˈnɛstrə /

noun

1. biology a small opening in or between bones, esp one of the openings between the middle and inner ears

2. zoology a transparent marking or spot, as on the wings of moths

3. architect a window or window-like opening in the outside wall of a building

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Other Word Forms

• fenestral adjective
• unfenestral adjective

Etymology

Origin of fenestra

1820–30; < New Latin, special use of Latin fenestra window, hole (in a wall)

Example Sentences

In most meat-eating dinosaurs, a ridge of bone provides a roof over an opening in the skull in front of the eye sockets known as the antorbital fenestra.

From Scientific American • Dec. 15, 2020

The posteroinferior vomerine process extends directly posteriorly and then angles sharply posterodorsally, enclosing an elliptical vomerine fenestra.

From Systematic Status of the Colubrid Snake, Leptodeira discolor Gunther by Duellman, William E.

Along the posterior edge of the orbital fenestra, there is a narrow, dorsally projecting flange of the pterygoid.

From A New Order of Fishlike Amphibia From the Pennsylvanian of Kansas by Eaton, Theodore H. (Theodore Hildreth)

Neckam, writing in that century, refers to the usefulness of the Vine when trained against the wall-front: "Pampinus latitudine suâ excipit æris insultus, cum res ita desiderat, et fenestra clementiam caloris solaris admittat."

From The plant-lore & garden-craft of Shakespeare by Ellacombe, Henry Nicholson

The distance from the posterior end of the quadrate to the visible posterior edge of the orbital fenestra, which opens ventrally, is 10.0 mm.

From A New Order of Fishlike Amphibia From the Pennsylvanian of Kansas by Eaton, Theodore H. (Theodore Hildreth)