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Definition of pinna - 6 dictionary results

pin⋅na

  [pin-uh]
Use pinna in a Sentence
–noun, plural pin⋅nae  [pin-ee] , pin⋅nas.
1. Botany. one of the primary divisions of a pinnate leaf.
2. Zoology.
a. a feather, wing, or winglike part.
b. a fin or flipper.
3. Anatomy. auricle (def. 1a).
Origin:
1660–70; < L: feather, wing, fin

Related forms:
pinnal, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To pinna
au·ri·cle   (ôr'ĭ-kəl)   
n.  

  1. Anatomy

    1. The outer projecting portion of the ear. Also called pinna.

    2. See atrium.

  2. Biology An earlobe-shaped part, process, or appendage, especially at the base of an organ.


[Middle English, auricle of the heart, from Old French, little ear, from Latin auricula, ear, earlier diminutive of auris, ear; see ous- in Indo-European roots.]
au'ri·cled (-kəld) adj.
pin·na   (pĭn'ə)   
n.   pl. pin·nae (pĭn'ē) or pin·nas

  1. Botany A leaflet or primary division of a pinnately compound leaf.

  2. Zoology A feather, wing, fin, or similar appendage.

  3. Anatomy See auricle.


[Latin, feather; see pet- in Indo-European roots.]
pin'nal adj.
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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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: pin·na
Pronunciation: 'pin-&
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural pin·nae /'pin-"E, -"I/ or pinnas
: the largely cartilaginous projecting portion of the external ear —pin·nal /'pin-&l/ adjective
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

pinna pin·na (pĭn'ə)
n. pl. pin·nae (pĭn'ē)
See auricle.

pin'nal adj.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Encyclopedia

pinna

in human anatomy, the visible portion of the external ear, and the point of difference between the human ear and that of other mammals. The auricle in humans is almost rudimentary and generally immobile and lies close to the side of the head. It is composed of a thin plate of yellow fibrocartilage covered by a tight-fitting skin. The external ear cartilage is molded into shape and has well-defined hollows, furrows, and ridges that form an irregular shallow funnel. The deepest depression in the auricle, called the concha, leads to the external auditory canal or meatus. The one portion of the auricle that has no cartilage is the lobule-the fleshy lower part of the auricle. The auricle has several small basic muscles that connect it to the skull and scalp. Generally nonfunctional in human beings, they are capable of limited movement in some people

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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