imbricate

American  

[im-bri-kit, -keyt, im-bri-keyt] / ˈɪm brɪ kɪt, -ˌkeɪt, ˈɪm brɪˌkeɪt /

adjective

1. overlapping in sequence, as tiles or shingles on a roof.

2. of, relating to, or resembling overlapping tiles, as decoration or drawings.

3. Biology. overlapping like tiles, as scales or leaves.

4. characterized by or as if by overlapping shingles.

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verb (used with or without object)

imbricated, imbricating

1. to overlap, as tiles or shingles.

imbricate British  

adjective

1. architect relating to or having tiles, shingles, or slates that overlap

2. botany (of leaves, scales, etc) overlapping each other

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verb

1. (tr) to decorate with a repeating pattern resembling scales or overlapping tiles

Other Word Forms

• imbrication
  noun
• imbricative
  adjective
• nonimbricate
  adjective
• nonimbricated
  adjective
• nonimbricating
  adjective
• nonimbricative
  adjective
• subimbricate
  adjective
• subimbricated
  adjective
• subimbricative
  adjective
• imbricately
  adverb
• nonimbricately
  adverb
• subimbricately
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of imbricate

1650–60; < Late Latin imbricātus tiled with imbrices, shaped like such a tile or tiling, equivalent to imbric- (stem of imbrex ) imbrex + -ātus -ate ¹

Example Sentences

Antheridia 3–20, in the axils of small saccate leaves, which are scarcely imbricate or crowded into terminal heads.

From The Manual of the Botany of the Northern United States Including the District East of the Mississippi and North of North Carolina and Tennessee by Gray, Asa

The pileus is sessile, or sometimes narrowed at the base into a short stem, the caps often numerous and crowded together in an overlapping or imbricate manner.

From Studies of American Fungi. Mushrooms, Edible, Poisonous, etc. by Atkinson, George Francis

The head of this voracious animal is flat and imbricate; several of the under teeth enter into and pass through the upper jaw; the nape is naked; on the tail are two rough lateral lines.

From The Sailor's Word-Book An Alphabetical Digest of Nautical Terms, including Some More Especially Military and Scientific, but Useful to Seamen; as well as Archaisms of Early Voyagers, etc. by Belcher, Edward, Sir

Thallus oblong with rounded lobes, distinctly areolate and porose, with imbricate sublunate scales beneath; gemmæ in crescent-shaped receptacles.

From The Manual of the Botany of the Northern United States Including the District East of the Mississippi and North of North Carolina and Tennessee by Gray, Asa

The anterior notch Ph.N. is similar to that in Limulus, whilst the imbricate triangular pieces of the posterior median region resemble the similarly-placed structures of Limulus in a striking manner.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Slice 3 "Apollodorus" to "Aral" by Various