turbinate
Americanadjective
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Also turbinated. having the shape of an inverted cone; scroll-like; whorled; spiraled.
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Anatomy. of or relating to certain scroll-like, spongy bones of the nasal passages in humans and other vertebrates.
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inversely conical.
noun
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a turbinate shell.
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Also called nasal concha. Anatomy. a turbinate bone.
adjective
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anatomy of or relating to any of the thin scroll-shaped bones situated on the walls of the nasal passages
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shaped like a spiral or scroll
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(esp of the shells of certain molluscs) shaped like an inverted cone
noun
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Also called: nasal concha. a turbinate bone
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a turbinate shell
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of turbinate
1655–65; < Latin turbinātus shaped like a top, equivalent to turbin- (stem of turbō a top; see turbine) + -ātus -ate 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Researchers also identified signs of a structure known as a respiratory turbinate inside the nose of Triceratops.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 22, 2026
Core small, turbinate, closed; Seeds numerous, small, plump; Flesh yellow, breaking, tender; Flavor very mild sub-acid, rich; Quality almost best; Use, table, kitchen, market; on older trees too small for profit; Season, December to March.
From American Pomology Apples by Warder, J. A.
Easily distinguished from the preceding, its only rival in size, by the obovate or turbinate, netted sporangium, its much longer stem, and flat, perfectly formed nodes.
From The North American Slime-Moulds A Descriptive List of All Species of Myxomycetes Hitherto Reported from the Continent of North America, with Notes on Some Extra-Limital Species by MacBride, Thomas H. (Thomas Huston)
Core medium, turbinate, regular, slightly open, clasping; Seeds numerous, angular, pointed; Flesh yellow, breaking, juicy; Flavor very sweet; Quality good to very good; Use, baking, market; Season, December and January.
From American Pomology Apples by Warder, J. A.
In Var. hirtum the plant is turbinate, subsessile, and hairy, with slender, spinous warts.
From Student's Hand-book of Mushrooms of America, Edible and Poisonous by Taylor, Thomas
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
