flocculus

[ flok-yuh-luhs ]

/ ˈflɒk yə ləs /

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noun, plural floc·cu·li

[flok-yuh-lahy]. /ˈflɒk yəˌlaɪ/.

floccule.

Astronomy. one of the bright or dark patches on the sun's surface, visible in a spectroheliogram.

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Origin of flocculus

From New Latin, dating back to 1790–1800; see origin at floccule

Words nearby flocculus

flocculate, flocculation, floccule, flocculent, flocculent precipitate, flocculus, floccus, flock, flockbed, flock dot, flocking

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use flocculus in a sentence

Flocculus -i: a hairy or bristly appendage on the posterior coxa of some Hymenoptera.
Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology|John. B. Smith
Each flocculus, in describing its spiral course, must give motion to the rarer medium through which it is moving.
Illustrations of Universal Progress|Herbert Spencer
Each flocculus, in describing its course, must give motion to the medium through which it is moving.
Essays: Scientific, Political, & Speculative, Vol. I|Herbert Spencer
When the posterior cox are distinguished by a curling lock of hair (Flocculus).
An Introduction to Entomology: Vol. IV (of 4)|William Kirby

British Dictionary definitions for flocculus

flocculus

/ (ˈflɒkjʊləs) /

noun plural -li (-ˌlaɪ)

a marking on the sun's surface or in its atmosphere, as seen on a spectroheliogram. It consists of calcium when lighter than the surroundings and of hydrogen when darker

anatomy a tiny ovoid prominence on each side of the cerebellum

another word for floccule

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