lunula

[ loo-nyuh-luh ]

noun,plural lu·nu·lae [loo-nyuh-lee]. /ˈlu nyəˌli/.
  1. something shaped like a narrow crescent, as the small, pale area at the base of the fingernail.

Origin of lunula

1
First recorded in 1565–75; from Latin lūnula “crescent-shaped ornament,” literally “little moon,” equivalent to lūn(a) “moon” + -ula, feminine diminutive noun suffix; see -ule
  • Also lu·nule [loo-nyool]. /ˈlu nyul/.

Other words from lunula

  • pseu·do·lu·nu·la, noun, plural pseu·do·lu·nu·lae.
  • pseu·do·lu·nule, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for lunula

lunula

lunule (ˈluːnjuːl)

/ (ˈluːnjʊlə) /


nounplural -nulae (-njʊˌliː) or -nules
  1. the white crescent-shaped area at the base of the human fingernail: Nontechnical name: half-moon

Origin of lunula

1
C16: from Latin: small moon, from lūna

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