falciform

WOTD – 21 September 2010    

English

Etymology

From Latin falc- (stem of falx (“sickle”)) + English -i- +‎ -form (“-shaped”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) enPR: fălʹsĭfôrm, IPA: /ˈfæl.sɪ.fɔːm/, /ˈfɒl.sɪ.fɔːm/, X-SAMPA: /"f{lsIfO:m/
• (US) IPA: /ˈfæl.sɪ.fɔɹm/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Adjective

falciform (comparative more falciform, superlative not attested)

1. Sickle-shaped.
   • 1922: James Joyce, Ulysses, page 446

     What announced the accomplishment of this rise in temperature?
     A double falciform ejection of water vapour from under the kettlelid at both sides simultaneously.

   • 2009, Nick Laird, Glover's Mistake,

     David realized he’d been unconsciously pushing his nails into his palms, leaving little red falciform marks.

Derived terms

• falciform cartilage (anatomy)
• falciformity (rare)
• falciform ligament (anatomy)
• falciform process (anatomy)

Related terms

Related terms

falcade (horsemanship) falcate (anatomy, botany, and zoölogy) falcated (astronomy; also, obsolete in botany and zoölogy) falcation (obsolete) falchion case of falchions (sword-play, obsolete) double falchion (sword-play, obsolete) single falchion (sword-play, obsolete) falciferous (rare) falciparum (pathology)

falcon falconer Grand Falconer Great Falconer falconet falcon-eyed falcon-face falcon-fisher falcon-flight falcon-guise falconish (rare) falcon-like falcon-nest falcon shot

falconet falcon-gentle falconine (zoölogy) falconry falculate

Translations

sickle-shaped

• Finnish: sirppimäinen (fi)
• French: falciforme (fr)
• Italian: falciforme (it)

• Russian: серповидный (ru) (serpovidnyj)
• Spanish: falciforme (es)

References

• “falciform, a.” listed in the Oxford English Dictionary [2nd Ed.; 1989]