reticular

American  

[ri-tik-yuh-ler] / rɪˈtɪk yə lər /

adjective

1. having the form of a net; netlike.

2. intricate or entangled.

3. Anatomy. of or relating to a reticulum.

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Other Word Forms

• interreticular adjective
• reticularly adverb

Etymology

Origin of reticular

1590–1600; < New Latin rēticulāris, equivalent to Latin rēticul ( um ) reticle + -āris -ar ¹

Explanation

Anything reticular is like a net. A spider web is reticular. Nets are interwoven with holes: they're used to catch fish and other things. Anything that resembles a net — or a network — can be called reticular. Many hammocks are reticular, and so is the knitting of many quilts and blankets. This word is often used in biology for parts of organisms that are net-like. Parts of our nervous system are often described as reticular, because the nerves resemble a net and also form a network.

Example Sentences

“It performs beautifully,” said Omar Yaghi, a reticular chemist at UC Berkeley and the study’s senior author.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 23, 2024

Activity of the cannabinoid receptor 1, which is involved in controlling pain perception, also decreased in the thalamic reticular nucleus after CSD.

From Science Daily • Oct. 25, 2023

As adenosine accumulates throughout the day, it slows down excitatory networks such as the arousal-causing reticular activating system.

From Scientific American • Oct. 25, 2023

The red pulp consists of reticular fibers with fixed macrophages attached, free macrophages, and all of the other cells typical of the blood, including some lymphocytes.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

Adj. crossing &c. v.; crossed, matted &c., v.. transverse. cross, cruciform, crucial; retiform†, reticular, reticulated; areolar†, cancellated†, grated, barred, streaked; textile; crossbarred†, cruciate†, palmiped†, secant; web-footed.

From Roget's Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases by Roget, Peter Mark

Related Words

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• puzzling
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