caruncle
Botany. a protuberance at or surrounding the hilum of a seed.
Zoology. a fleshy excrescence, as on the head of a bird; a fowl's comb.
Anatomy. a small, fleshy growth.
Origin of caruncle
1Other words from caruncle
- ca·run·cu·lar [kuh-ruhng-kyuh-ler], /kəˈrʌŋ kyə lər/, ca·run·cu·lous, adjective
Words Nearby caruncle
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use caruncle in a sentence
A urethral caruncle is a bright red, tender tumour, usually on the posterior portion of the urethral orifice.
The latter operation consists in excising a wedge-shaped piece of the posterior wall of the urethra containing the caruncle.
Retraction of the caruncle is best avoided by closing the conjunctival wound with a stitch, and thus pulling the caruncle forward.
A short and thickish appendage at or close to the hilum in certain seeds is called a caruncle or Strophiole (Fig. 419).
The Elements of Botany | Asa GrayDid you ever hear of the caruncle on the head of the turkey?
Cornell Nature-Study Leaflets | Various
British Dictionary definitions for caruncle
/ (ˈkærəŋkəl, kəˈrʌŋ-) /
a fleshy outgrowth on the heads of certain birds, such as a cock's comb
an outgrowth near the hilum on the seeds of some plants
any small fleshy mass in or on the body, either natural or abnormal
Origin of caruncle
1Derived forms of caruncle
- caruncular (kəˈrʌŋkjʊlə) or carunculous, adjective
- carunculate (kəˈrʌŋkjʊlɪt, -ˌleɪt) or carunculated, adjective
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
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