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spinule

[spahy-nyool, spin-yool]
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noun Zoology, Botany.
  1. a small spine.
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Origin of spinule

From the Latin word spīnula, dating back to 1745–55. See spine, -ule
Related formsspin·u·lose [spin-yuh-lohs, spahy-nyuh-] /ˈspɪn yəˌloʊs, ˈspaɪ nyə-/, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for spinule

Historical Examples

  • This process has been one of time: the adhesion of the "spinule" took place in about sixteen hours after its escape from the egg.

    Omphalos

    Philip Henry Gosse

British Dictionary definitions for spinule

spinule

noun
  1. biology a very small spine, thorn, or prickle
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Derived Formsspinulose (ˈspaɪnjʊˌləʊs), adjective

Word Origin

C18: from Late Latin spīnula
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