What does "imbrication" mean?
A set of tiles or shingles that overlap like the scales of a fish.
Imbrication
noun
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A set of tiles or shingles that overlap like the scales of a fish.
- Grammar: imbrication is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: applique, drapery, flap, fly.
- Usage evidence: SMAS flaps or SMASectomies are considered imbrications in this chapter. SMAS tightening is probably a more accurate description with 'open' SMAS techniques referring to imbrication and 'closed' SMAS techniques referring to plication.
How to use "imbrication"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "imbrication" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "imbrication" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "imbrication" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "imbrication" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "imbrication" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "applique" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "imbrication", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A set of tiles or shingles that overlap like the scales of a fish. countable, uncountable
- 2 covering with a design in which one element covers a part of another (as with tiles or shingles) wordnet
- 3 Overlapping of layers of tissue in wound closure or in correctional or reconstructive surgery. countable, uncountable
"SMAS flaps or SMASectomies are considered imbrications in this chapter. SMAS tightening is probably a more accurate description with 'open' SMAS techniques referring to imbrication and 'closed' SMAS techniques referring to plication."
- 4 A sedimentary deposition in which small, flat stones are tiled in the same direction so that they overlap. countable, uncountable
"The Archean basement beyond and beneath the northwest flanks of the turbidite basins constitutes the cratonic foreland against which northwest-directed tectonic imbrication is thought to have occurred."
- 5 A phenomenon occurring in many Bantu languages in which morphemes interweave in certain morphophonological conditions. countable, uncountable
"The Kiyaka perfective, applicative, and causative suffixes display an unusual type of infixation known in the Bantu literature as “imbrication” (see e.g. the discussion of imbrication in Tiene in chapters 4 and 6)."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 The use of relative positioning, often by varying amounts of indentation, to define hierarchical relationships between elements of code. countable, uncountable
"Only a subset of YAML is used: sequences are only expected to contain scalars and mappings are only expected to contain a scalar or a mapping, but with only one level of imbrication."
Example
"SMAS flaps or SMASectomies are considered imbrications in this chapter. SMAS tightening is probably a more accurate description with 'open' SMAS techniques referring to imbrication and 'closed' SMAS techniques referring to plication."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "imbrication"?
Common synonyms include: applique, drapery, flap, fly, lap, lapping.
How do you use "imbrication" in a sentence?
SMAS flaps or SMASectomies are considered imbrications in this chapter. SMAS tightening is probably a more accurate description with 'open' SMAS techniques referring to imbrication and 'closed' SMAS techniques referring to plication.
Etymology
From French imbrication.