Lyrate
adj, noun
adj, noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A long feather with a shape similar to the arm of a lyre, found in the tail of lyrebirds.
Adjective
- 1 Shaped like a lyre.
"The passage of time could only enhance his tenderness for the creature he clasped, this adored creature, whose motion was now more supple, whose haunches had grown more lyrate, whose hair-ribbon he had undone."
- 2 Having a large terminal lobe and smaller rounded lobes toward its base.
"1976, T. G. Tutin, Flora Europaea, Volume 4: Plantaginaceae to Compositae (and Rubiaceae), page 72, Basal leaves simple, lyrate or pinnatifid; cauline leaves 1- to 2-pinnatifid, pinnatisect or simple."
Adjective
- 1 (of a leaf shape) having curvature suggestive of a lyre wordnet
Antonyms
All antonymsExample
More examples"The passage of time could only enhance his tenderness for the creature he clasped, this adored creature, whose motion was now more supple, whose haunches had grown more lyrate, whose hair-ribbon he had undone."
Etymology
From New Latin lyrātus, from lyra (“lyre”). By surface analysis, lyre + -ate.