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annulus

 - 6 dictionary results

an⋅nu⋅lus

  [an-yuh-luhs]
Use annulus in a Sentence
–noun, plural -li  [-lahy] , -lus⋅es.
1. a ring; a ringlike part, band, or space.
2. Geometry. the space between two concentric circles on a plane.
3. the veil remnant on a mushroom stalk.
4. a growth ring, as on the cross section of a tree trunk, that can be used to estimate age.
Origin:
1555–65; < L, var. of ānulus, equiv. to ān(us) ring + -ulus -ule
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To annulus
an·nu·lus   (ān'yə-ləs)   
n.   pl. an·nu·lus·es or an·nu·li (-lī')

  1. A ringlike figure, part, structure, or marking, such as a growth ring on the scale of a fish.

    1. A ring or group of thick-walled cells around the sporangia of many ferns that functions in spore release.

    2. The ringlike remains of a broken partial veil, found around the stipes of certain mushrooms.

  3. Mathematics The figure bounded by and containing the area between two concentric circles.


[Latin ānulus, ring, diminutive of ānus.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Main Entry:  annulus2
Part of Speech:  n
Definition:  See tree ring
Dictionary.com's 21st Century Lexicon
Copyright © 2003-2009 Dictionary.com, LLC
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: an·nu·lus
Pronunciation: 'an-y&-l&s
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural an·nu·li /-"lI/ also -lus·es
: a ringlike part, structure, or marking; especially : any of various ringlike anatomical parts (as the inguinal ring)
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

annulus an·nu·lus or an·u·lus (ān'yə-ləs)
n. pl. an·nu·lus·es or an·nu·li (-lī')
A circular or ring-shaped structure.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Science Dictionary
annulus   (ān'yə-ləs)  Pronunciation Key 
Plural annuluses or annuli (ān'yə-lī')

  1. A ringlike figure, part, structure, or marking, such as a growth ring on the scale of a fish.

  2. A ring or group of specialized cells around the sporangia of many ferns. By changing shape in response to variations in humidity, it breaks open the sporangium and then releases the spores with a whipping motion.

  3. The ringlike remains of a membrane (called a veil), found around the stipes of certain basidiomycete mushrooms. The presence or absence of an annulus is often used to identify the species of an individual mushroom.

  4. The figure bounded by and containing the area between two concentric circles.


The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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