orbicula
Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word orbicula. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word orbicula, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say orbicula in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word orbicula you have here. The definition of the word orbicula will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition oforbicula, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Etymology
Diminutive of orbicle.
Noun
orbicula (plural orbiculas or orbiculae)
- A dorsal sclerite over a hymenopteran arolium; a hard exoskeletal feature with species-specific shape that overhangs and protects the adhesive tip of such an insect's leg and around which the claw(s) curl. Abbreviation "or" or "rb".
- (zoology, dated) A discina (brachiopod).
References
“orbicula”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
- ^ Richard T. Holway (1935 March) “Preliminary Note on the Structure of the Pretarsus and its Possible Phylogenetic Significance”, in Psyche: A Journal of Entomology, volume XLII, number 1: “Oricula. In Hymenoptera, a small dorsal sclerite at the base of the arolium and distad of the unguifer. The orbicula is quite variable as to size and shape in this order and may be of taxonomic value.”