seta

[ see-tuh ]

/ ˈsi tə /

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See synonyms for: setal on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural se·tae

[see-tee]. /ˈsi ti/. Biology.

a stiff hair; bristle or bristlelike part.

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THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

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Origin of seta

First recorded in 1785–95, seta is from the Latin word sēta, saeta “bristle”

OTHER WORDS FROM seta

setal, adjective

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

How to use seta in a sentence

The entire larva is black and the segments of the body possess numerous tubercles bearing setae.
Journal of Entomology and Zoology, March 1917|Various
The abdomen possesses three rows of setae on each side above the spiracles.
Journal of Entomology and Zoology, March 1917|Various
The furca is, as a rule, a powerful motor-organ, and has its laminae edged with strong teeth (ungues) or setae or both.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 6|Various
Notopodia reduced to small lobes at base of neuropodia above, these lobes smooth, bearing no emergent setae in the type.
Journal of Entomology and Zoology, Vol. 11. No. 1.|Various

The notocirri have the usual enlarged distal end baring a slender tip and a little exceed the neuropodial setae.
Journal of Entomology and Zoology, Vol. 11. No. 1.|Various

British Dictionary definitions for seta

seta

/ (ˈsiːtə) /

noun plural -tae (-tiː)

(in invertebrates and some plants) any bristle or bristle-like appendage

(in mosses) the stalk of the sporophyte that bears the capsule

Derived forms of seta

setaceous (sɪˈteɪʃəs), adjectivesetaceously, adverbsetal, adjective

Word Origin for seta

C18: from Latin

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

Scientific definitions for seta

seta

[ sē′tə ]

Plural setae (sē′tē)

A stiff hair, bristle, or bristlelike process or part on an organism. Setae on the bodies of spiders are used as sensory organs, while setae on the bodies of many polychaete worms, such as earthworms, are used for locomotion. Microscopic setae on the feet of geckos allow adhesion to vertical surfaces.