subulate

[soo-byuh-lit, -leyt]

adjective Biology.

slender, somewhat cylindrical, and tapering to a point; awl-shaped.

Origin of subulate

1750–60; < New Latin sūbulātus, equivalent to Latin sūbul(a) awl + -ātus -ate¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for subulate

Historical Examples of subulate

Involucral leaves 5–6 (in our species), small, subulate, adnate.
The Manual of the Botany of the Northern United States
Asa Gray
Tentacula depressed, subulate, at the external base of which are the eyes.
Zoological Illustrations, Volume II
William Swainson
The pharyngeal teeth are subulate and acute, and of unequal heights.
Discoveries in Australia, Volume 1.
J Lort Stokes
It produces millions of leaves, but every one is awl-shaped--subulate.
Among the Forces
Henry White Warren
Subulate, awl-shaped; tapering from a broadish or thickish base to a sharp point.
The Elements of Botany
Asa Gray

British Dictionary definitions for subulate

subulate

adjective

(esp of plant parts) tapering to a point; awl-shaped

Word Origin for subulate

C18: from New Latin subulatus like an awl, from Latin sūbula awl

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