lunate

[ loo-neyt ]

/ ˈlu neɪt /

adjective

Also lu·nat·ed. being in the shape of a crescent; crescent-shaped.

noun

Anatomy. the second bone from the thumb side of the proximal row of bones of the carpus.

a crescent-shaped, microlithic artifact mounted in a haft to form a composite tool, mostly Mesolithic in origin.

Words nearby lunate

lunar rainbow, lunar rover, lunar year, lunarian, lunarscape, lunate, lunate bone, lunatic, lunatic asylum, lunatic fringe, lunation

Origin of lunate

First recorded in 1770–80, lunate is from the Latin word lūnātus crescent-shaped. See Luna, -ate¹

OTHER WORDS FROM lunate

lu·nate·ly, adverbsem·i·lu·nate, adjectivesem·i·lu·nat·ed, adjectivesub·lu·nate, adjective

sub·lu·nat·ed, adjectiveun·lu·nate, adjectiveun·lu·nat·ed, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for lunate

The chief distinction lies in the lunate tail, which has a keel on either side at base, as in the mackerels.
A Guide to the Study of Fishes, Volume 1 (of 2)|David Starr Jordan
Cl., to which as a variety Cleve unites Lewis' form, appears to resemble it only in the lunate marks.
The Diatomaceae of Philadelphia and Vicinity|Charles Sumner Boyer

British Dictionary definitions for lunate

lunate

/ (ˈluːneɪt) /

adjective Also: lunated

anatomy botany shaped like a crescent

noun

a crescent-shaped bone forming part of the wrist

Word Origin for lunate

C18: from Latin lūnātus crescent-shaped, from lūnāre, from lūna moon

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

Medicine definitions for lunate

lunate

[ lōō′nāt′ ]

adj.

Shaped like a crescent.