lanceolate

[ lan-see-uh-leyt, -lit ]

/ ˈlæn si əˌleɪt, -lɪt /

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adjective

shaped like the head of a lance.

narrow, and tapering toward the apex or sometimes at the base, as a leaf.

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Origin of lanceolate

1750–60; <Latin lanceolātus armed with a small lance, equivalent to lanceol(a) small lance (lance(a) lance¹ + -ola-ole¹) + -ātus-ate¹

OTHER WORDS FROM lanceolate

lan·ce·o·late·ly, adverbsub·lan·ce·o·late, adjective

Words nearby lanceolate

lancejack, lancelet, Lancelot, Lancelot, Sir, lance of courtesy, lanceolate, lancepod, lancer, lance rest, lancers, lance sergeant

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

How to use lanceolate in a sentence

Leaves of a lanceolate form are the largest, and the shape of those found on most varieties of the American plant.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
The interior of the cathedral is comparatively poor and bare; but it has one great beauty—its colored lanceolate windows.
George Eliot's Life, Vol. II (of 3)|George Eliot
Thus, the abdomen of female Tipul is lanceolate; that of the male cylindrical, and thickest at the extremity.
An Introduction to Entomology: Vol. III (of 4)|William Kirby
The Raven can be known by its large size, its very large bill, and lanceolate feathers on the throat.
Bird Guide: Land Birds East of the Rockies|Chester A. (Chester Albert) Reed

On the back they also have long lanceolate gray plumes; crown and a comet shaped patch under the eye of a yellowish white.
Western Bird Guide|Chester A. (Chester Albert) Reed, Harry F. Harvey, and Rex I. Brasher

British Dictionary definitions for lanceolate

lanceolate

/ (ˈlɑːnsɪəˌleɪt, -lɪt) /

adjective

narrow and tapering to a point at each endlanceolate leaves

Word Origin for lanceolate

C18: from Late Latin lanceolātus, from lanceola small lance

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

Scientific definitions for lanceolate

lanceolate

[ lăn′sē-ə-lāt′ ]

Tapering from a rounded base toward an apex; lance-shaped. Many willows have lanceolate leaves.