pinna

[ pin-uh ]

noun

, plural pin·nae [pin, -ee], pin·nas.

1. Botany. one of the primary divisions of a pinnate leaf.
2. Zoology.
   1. a feather, wing, or winglike part.
   2. a fin or flipper.
3. Anatomy. auricle ( def 1a ).

pinna

/ ˈpɪnə /

noun

1. any leaflet of a pinnate compound leaf
2. zoology a feather, wing, fin, or similarly shaped part
3. another name for auricle

pinna

/ pĭn′ə /

, Plural pinnae pĭn′ē

1. A leaflet or primary division of a pinnately compound leaf, especially of a fern frond.

Other Words From

• pinnal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of pinna¹

1660–70; < Latin: feather, wing, fin

Word History and Origins

Origin of pinna¹

C18: via New Latin from Latin: wing, feather, fin

Example Sentences

The researchers call transients Orcinus rectipinnus, noting that, in Latin, “recti means right or upright, and pinna means fin, feather, or wing, most likely referring to the tall erect dorsal fin of males.”

From Los Angeles Times

Their ear flaps, or pinnae, can independently rotate forward, backward, and sideways to zero in on a sound’s location.

From National Geographic

Researchers have found a new protozoan, Haplosporidium pinnae, in dead and dying mussels.

From Science Magazine

In recent weeks, tests confirmed the same parasite, Haplosporidium pinnae, is responsible for pen shell die-offs in parts of Greece, and researchers have reported mass mortality as far east as Turkey and Cyprus.

From Washington Times

Humans do have weak vestigial muscles attached to the shell of the ear, called the auricle or pinna, as well as evidence of a vestigial nervous system, which could have functioned to orient the ears.

From New York Times

Related Words

• brochure
• flier
• handbill
• handout
• pamphlet