ternate

¹ American  

[tur-nit, -neyt] / ˈtɜr nɪt, -neɪt /

adjective

1. consisting of three; arranged in threes.

2. Botany.

   1. consisting of three leaflets, as a compound leaf.

   2. having leaves arranged in whorls of three, as a plant.

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Ternate ² American  

[ter-nah-te, ter-nah-tee] / tɛrˈnɑ tɛ, tərˈnɑ ti /

noun

1. an island in E Indonesia, W of Halmahera: important source of spices. 53 sq. mi. (137 sq. km).

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ternate British  

/ ˈtɜːnɪt, -neɪt /

adjective

1. (esp of a leaf) consisting of three leaflets or other parts

2. (esp of plants) having groups of three members

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Other Word Forms

• ternately adverb

Etymology

Origin of ternate

From the New Latin word ternātus, dating back to 1745–55. See tern ², -ate ¹

Example Sentences

Biternate, twice ternate; i. e. principal divisions three, each bearing three leaflets, 59.

From The Elements of Botany For Beginners and For Schools by Gray, Asa

Radical-leaves.—Commonly pinnately ternate; the leaflets cut into three to seven usually linear lobes.

From The Wild Flowers of California: Their Names, Haunts, and Habits by Parsons, Mary Elizabeth

Leaves ternate or binate, from 10 to 15 cm. long; resin-ducts medial or with an occasional internal duct, hypoderm biform.

From The Genus Pinus by Shaw, George Russell

Both this and the patarra are creeping plants: the last with ternate leaves.

From A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Volume 16 by Kerr, Robert

In most branches of science biÏ in composition denotes two, twice, or doubly; as, bidentate, twoÏtoothed; biternate, doubly ternate, etc.

From Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (2nd 100 Pages) by Webster, Noah

Related Words

• threefold