ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Spicule

Definition, Meaning & Examples

Part of speech noun

Quick meaning: Spicule is a noun meaning A sharp, needle-like piece.

Meaning

A sharp, needle-like piece.

More Meanings

  1. A tiny glass flake formed during the manufacture of glass vials.
  2. (biology) Any of many needle-like crystalline structures that provide skeletal support in marine invertebrates like sponges.
  3. A needle-like mating structure found only in male nematodes.
  4. (astronomy) A jet of matter ejected from the photosphere of the sun.
  5. A small spike of flowers.
  6. (historical) A unit of mass equal to 125 pounds.

Example Sentences

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?

Word Forms

Synonyms for spicule

Depending on context, synonyms include spiculum.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include spiculum, triradiate, spickle, spire, spinule, stickle.

Related Dictionary Tools

Sources & Attribution

FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0

Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.