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

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

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

Branches clustered; leaves loose, imbricate on the branches, round-ovate, entire; perianth pyriform, slightly compressed and repand, smooth, obscurely carinate beneath and gibbous toward the apex.

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

P. 3-5 cm. tough, shell-shaped, imbricate, connate behind, longitudinally corrugated with ribs, floccoso-scrupose, tan, edge incurved, entire; g. broad, torn, white; sp. glob.

From European Fungus Flora: Agaricaceae by Massee, George

Ascending, with numerous offshoots; stem-leaves semi-vertical, obliquely spreading, roundish, acutely 2–4-toothed, those of the shoots closely imbricate, premorsely 2–4-denticulate; involucral leaves two, 3-toothed; perianth oblong.—In similar localities.

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

In all of the specimens the middorsal scales are keeled and much smaller than the smooth pavementlike or slightly imbricate ventrals.

From The Amphibians and Reptiles of Michoacán, México by Duellman, William E.

Diagram of a flower of Linden, showing the calyx valvate and corolla imbricate in the bud, etc.

From The Elements of Botany For Beginners and For Schools by Gray, Asa