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patulous

[ pach-uh-luhs ]
/ ˈpætʃ ə ləs /
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adjective
open; gaping; expanded.
Botany.
  1. spreading, as a tree or its boughs.
  2. spreading slightly, as a calyx.
  3. bearing the flowers loose or dispersed, as a peduncle.
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Origin of patulous

First recorded in 1610–20, patulous is from the Latin word patulus standing wide-open. See patent, -ulous

OTHER WORDS FROM patulous

pat·u·lous·ly, adverbpat·u·lous·ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use patulous in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for patulous

patulous
/ (ˈpætjʊləs) /

adjective
botany spreading widely or expandedpatulous branches
rare gaping

Derived forms of patulous

patulously, adverbpatulousness, noun

Word Origin for patulous

C17: from Latin patulus open, from patēre to lie open
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
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