lunula
[ loo-nyuh-luh ]
noun,plural lu·nu·lae [loo-nyuh-lee]. /ˈlu nyəˌli/.
something shaped like a narrow crescent, as the small, pale area at the base of the fingernail.
Origin of lunula
1First 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
the white crescent-shaped area at the base of the human fingernail: Nontechnical name: half-moon
Origin of lunula
1C16: 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
Browse