frenulum
Americannoun
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frenula
plural
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Anatomy, Zoology. a small frenum.
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Entomology. a strong spine or group of bristles on the hindwing of many butterflies and moths, projecting beneath the forewing and serving to hold the two wings together in flight.
noun
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a strong bristle or group of bristles on the hind wing of some moths and other insects, by which the forewing and hind wing are united during flight
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a small fraenum
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of frenulum
First recorded in 1890–95; New Latin, from frēn(um) frenum + -ulum, neuter of -ulus -ule
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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.
In infancy, a type of tongue-tie where the frenulum attaches all the way to the front of the tongue and severely restricts its movement has been treated for hundreds of years.
From Salon ● Sep. 25, 2021
Cutting the frenulum could even make sleep worse, Baldassari says.
From Salon ● Sep. 25, 2021
The labial frenulum is a midline fold of mucous membrane that attaches the inner surface of each lip to the gum.
From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013
People with the congenital anomaly ankyloglossia, also known by the non-medical term “tongue tie,” have a lingual frenulum that is too short or otherwise malformed.
From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013
Frenulum hook: in the males of frenate Lepidoptera, a hook or fold into which the frenulum is fitted.
From Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology by John. B. Smith
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.
