lunula

[ loo-nyuh-luh ]
/ ˈlu nyə lə /

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.
Also lu·nule [loo-nyool] /ˈlu nyul/.

Origin of lunula

1565–75; < Latin lūnula, equivalent to lūn(a) moon + -ula -ule

OTHER WORDS FROM lunula

pseu·do·lu·nu·la, noun, plural pseu·do·lu·nu·lae. pseu·do·lu·nule, noun

Words nearby lunula

lunitidal interval, lunk, lunker, lunkhead, lunt, lunula, lunular, lunulate, luny, lunéville, luo

Example sentences from the Web for lunule

  • The lateral teeth are the stronger, and the lunule is upon the right valve only.

    The Sea-beach at Ebb-tide |Augusta Foote Arnold

  • Lunule: An impressed area just below the beaks of bivalve shells.

    The Sea-beach at Ebb-tide |Augusta Foote Arnold

  • There is no lunule, but a large external ligament is very prominent just back of the beaks.

    The Sea-beach at Ebb-tide |Augusta Foote Arnold

British Dictionary definitions for lunule

lunula

lunule (ˈluːnjuːl)

/ (ˈluːnjʊlə) /

noun plural -nulae (-njʊˌliː) or -nules

the white crescent-shaped area at the base of the human fingernail Nontechnical name: half-moon

Word Origin for lunula

C16: from Latin: small moon, from lūna

Medical definitions for lunule

lunula
[ lōōn′yə-lə ]

n. pl. lu•nu•lae (-lē′)

A small crescent-shaped structure or marking, especially the proximal region at the base of a fingernail that resembles a half-moon.