lyrate

or ly·rat·ed

[lahy-reyt, -rit or lahy-rey-tid]

adjective

Botany. (of a pinnate leaf) divided transversely into several lobes, the smallest at the base.

Zoology. having the shape of a lyre, as the tail of certain birds.

Origin of lyrate

From the New Latin word lyrātus, dating back to 1750–60. See lyre, -ate¹

Related formsly·rate·ly, adverb

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

Examples from the Web for lyrate

Historical Examples of lyrate

Its horns are of the lyrate form, and its colour a bright rufous.
Quadrupeds, What They Are and Where Found
Mayne Reid
The lowest leaves are not entire, but lyrate and pinnatified below to the mid-rib, with a terminal lobe.
Travels in the Interior of North America, 1832-1834, Part III (the Text Being Chapters XXVIII-XXXIII of the London Edition, 1843, and the Appendix a Combination of the Appendices of the London and German [Coblentz, 1839] Editions)
Maximilian, Prinz von Wied
The black-cock is a still larger bird; the male with a wonderful metallic, steel-blue plumage, and lyrate tail.
Birds in Flight
W. P. Pycraft
It is strongly characterized by the lyrate shape of the horns and certain anatomical features.
The Rocky Mountain Goat
Madison Grant
Lyrate: lyre-shaped: cut into several transverse segments, and gradually enlarging towards the extremity.
Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology
John. B. Smith

British Dictionary definitions for lyrate

lyrate

lyrated

adjective

shaped like a lyre

(of leaves) having a large terminal lobe and smaller lateral lobes

Derived Formslyrately, adverb

Word Origin for lyrate

C18: from New Latin lyrātus, Latin from lyra lyre

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