urostyle

[yoo r-uh-stahyl]

noun Anatomy.

the fused vertebrae at the posterior end of the spinal column of some fishes and tailless amphibians.

Origin of urostyle

First recorded in 1870–75; uro-² + -style²

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

Examples from the Web for urostyle

Historical Examples of urostyle

The ultimate changes of the notochord and urostyle vary very considerably in the different types of Teleostei.
The Works of Francis Maitland Balfour, Volume III (of 4)
Francis Maitland Balfour
The urostyle is post-sacral and corresponds to three or more modified vertebrae.
The Vertebrate Skeleton
Sidney H. Reynolds
The urostyle is the name given to a modified bony structure, originally the end of the notochord, turned upward in most fishes.
A Guide to the Study of Fishes, Volume 1 (of 2)
David Starr Jordan
The post-sacral part of the spinal column ossifies continuously, forming an unsegmented cylindrical rod, the urostyle.
The Vertebrate Skeleton
Sidney H. Reynolds
The urostyle is a long rod-like bone forming the posterior unsegmented continuation of the vertebral column.
The Vertebrate Skeleton
Sidney H. Reynolds

British Dictionary definitions for urostyle

urostyle

noun

the bony rod forming the last segment of the vertebral column of frogs, toads, and related amphibians

Word Origin for urostyle

C19: from uro- ² + Greek stulos pillar

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