spicule

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English

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English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

Etymology

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From Latin spīculum.

Noun

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spicule (plural spicules)

  1. A sharp, needle-like piece.
  2. A tiny glass flake formed during the manufacture of glass vials
  3. (biology) Any of many needle-like crystalline structures that provide skeletal support in marine invertebrates like sponges.
    • 1860, Recreative Science, page 110:
      Tear it up, and put a fragment under the microscope, and, wonder of wonders! see the maze of geometric forms exhibited in the bones of the creature; for who can help regarding the spicules as bones, even though a sponge be invertebrate?
  4. A needle-like mating structure found only in male nematodes.
  5. (astronomy) A jet of matter ejected from the photosphere of the sun.
  6. A small spike of flowers.

Translations

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Anagrams

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French

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Etymology

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(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /spi.kyl/
  • Audio:(file)

Noun

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spicule f (plural spicules)

  1. (biology) spicule

Further reading

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