lyrate

[ lahy-reyt, -rit ]

/ ˈlaɪ reɪt, -rɪt /

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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.

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Also ly·rat·ed

[lahy-rey-tid] /ˈlaɪ reɪ tɪd/ .

Origin of lyrate

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

OTHER WORDS FROM lyrate

ly·rate·ly, adverb

Words nearby lyrate

lyophobic, lyosorption, lyotropic, lypressin, Lyra, lyrate, lyra viol, lyre, lyre back, lyrebird, lyre-form sofa

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use lyrate in a sentence

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 impalla is about the same size as the Grant's gazelle, but has horns of a lyrate shape.
In Africa|John T. McCutcheon
Lyrate: lyre-shaped: cut into several transverse segments, and gradually enlarging towards the extremity.
Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology|John. B. Smith
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

The horns are more or less lyrate, and generally developed in both sexes; there are frequently brushes of hair on the knees.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Slice 2|Various

British Dictionary definitions for lyrate

lyrate

lyrated

/ (ˈlaɪərɪt) /

adjective

shaped like a lyre

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

Derived forms of lyrate

lyrately, 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