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Synonyms

patulous

American  
[pach-uh-luhs] / ˈpætʃ ə ləs /

adjective

  1. open; gaping; expanded.

  2. 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.


patulous British  
/ ˈpætjʊləs /

adjective

  1. botany spreading widely or expanded

    patulous branches

  2. rare gaping

"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

Other Word Forms

  • patulously adverb
  • patulousness noun

Etymology

Origin of patulous

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Tailed; lower wings with obtuse patulous tails.

From Project Gutenberg

Tailed; lower wings with obtuse patulous tails.

From Project Gutenberg

But when a large amount of highly-colored bile is being secreted, as in relapsing fever, it seems clear that the obstruction of a certain number of minute ducts would cause sufficient resorption of the bile to induce jaundice of varying degrees of intensity, while at the same time allowing a flow of bile through the patulous ducts.

From Project Gutenberg

Ponfick has shown that these are venous infarctions, the arterioles leading to them being patulous.

From Project Gutenberg

In a marked hemorrhage the only way to save the mother is to empty the uterus, so that it may contract and thus close the patulous vessels.

From Project Gutenberg