lunate

[ loo-neyt ]

/ ˈlu neɪt /

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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.

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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

Words nearby lunate

Lunar Orbiter, lunar rainbow, lunar rover, lunarscape, lunar year, lunate, lunatic, lunatic asylum, lunatic fringe, lunation, lunch

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

How to use lunate in a sentence

Frustule elliptical; valve lunate, with straight ventral margin.
The Diatomaceae of Philadelphia and Vicinity|Charles Sumner Boyer
Valve lunate, with acute ends; ventral margin straight; ventral side very narrow.
The Diatomaceae of Philadelphia and Vicinity|Charles Sumner Boyer
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
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

It is of a narrow lunate form, highly convex, the disk destitute of sculpture, and the eyes prominent.
Early Western Travels 1748-1846, Volume XIV|Edwin James

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