vitta

American  

[vit-uh] / ˈvɪt ə /

noun

plural

vittae

1. Botany. a tube or receptacle for oil, occurring in the fruits of most plants of the parsley family.

2. Zoology, Botany. a streak or stripe, as of color.

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vitta British  

/ ˈvɪtə /

noun

1. any of numerous tubelike cavities containing oil or resin that occur in the fruits of certain plants, esp of parsley and other umbellifers

2. biology a band or stripe of colour

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Other Word Forms

• vittate adjective

Etymology

Origin of vitta

1685–95; < Latin: ribbon, fillet, akin to viēre to weave together

Example Sentences

Before Amaryllis could gather resolution to protest, she was out again, clothed in mantle and vitta and, walking swiftly, disappeared into the vestibule.

From The City of Delight A Love Drama of the Siege and Fall of Jerusalem by Leyendecker, Frank X.

Fusca; capite subtus testaceo apud oculos albo, vitta frontali alba; thorace pectoreque lineis sex albidis; abdomine sordide testaceo, pedibus albidis, tibiis tarsisque apice femoribusque anticis nigris; alis subcinereis, halteribus albidis.

From Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society - Vol. 3 Zoology by Various

Without the slightest discomposure, and absolutely unconscious of what he was doing, Marsyas gazed and listened until the vitta fell hastily over the face, the bird flew away and the garden incense died.

From Saul of Tarsus A Tale of the Early Christians by Miller, Elizabeth

Nigra, subtilissime punctata, antennis piceis, thorace vitta cinerea, tarsis posterioribus albis, alis nigricantibus.

From Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society - Vol. 3 Zoology by Various

He took the hand from hers and put back the vitta that covered her hair.

From Saul of Tarsus A Tale of the Early Christians by Miller, Elizabeth