retuse

[ ri-toos, -tyoos ]

/ rɪˈtus, -ˈtyus /

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adjective

having an obtuse or rounded apex with a shallow notch, as leaves.

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Origin of retuse

1745–55; <Latin retūsus (past participle of retundere to make blunt), equivalent to re-re- + tud-, variant stem of tundere to beat, strike + -tus past participle suffix, with dt>s

Words nearby retuse

return receipt, return stroke, return the compliment, return ticket, return to the fold, retuse, retweet, Retz, Reuben, Reubenite, Reuben sandwich

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use retuse in a sentence

Leaves succubous, subconcave or flat, the apex rounded, rarely retuse or bidentate; underleaves none (in our species).
The Manual of the Botany of the Northern United States|Asa Gray
Leaves succubous, ovate-oblong, entire or slightly retuse; underleaves none.
The Manual of the Botany of the Northern United States|Asa Gray
Retuse, with rounded summit slightly indented, forming a very shallow notch, as in Fig. 137.
The Elements of Botany|Asa Gray
Retuse: ending in an obtuse sinus or broad, shallow notch, terminated by an obtuse hollow.
Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology|John. B. Smith

They are entire, with an emarginate or even retuse apex and an unequal base, and texture coriaceous.
Cooley's Practical Receipts, Volume II|Arnold Cooley

British Dictionary definitions for retuse

retuse

/ (rɪˈtjuːs) /

adjective

botany having a rounded apex and a central depressionretuse leaves

Word Origin for retuse

C18: from Latin retundere to make blunt, from re- + tundere to pound

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