nervure

American  

[nur-vyoor] / ˈnɜr vyʊər /

noun

1. Botany, Zoology. a vein, as of a leaf or the wing of an insect.

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nervure British  

/ ˈnɜːvjʊə /

noun

1. entomol any of the stiff chitinous rods that form the supporting framework of an insect's wing; vein

2. botany any of the veins or ribs of a leaf

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Etymology

Origin of nervure

1810–20; < French: rib. See nerve, -ure

Example Sentences

The projecting portions of both wing-cases are traversed by a similar strong nervure, but this is scored like a file only in one of them, in the other remaining perfectly smooth.

From The Naturalist on the River Amazons by Bates, Henry Walter

Unicostate, ū-ni-kos′tāt, adj. one-ribbed, having but one principal costa, rib, or nervure.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements) by Various

It is remarkable for having a sort of drum at the base of the fore wings, between the costal nervure and the subcostal.

From The Voyage of the Beagle by Darwin, Charles

Each space is surrounded by a strong nervure and goffered by slight wrinkles or depressions.

From Social Life in the Insect World by Miall, Bernard

In our British Phasgonura viridissima it appeared to me that the serrated nervure is rubbed against the rounded hind corner of the opposite wing, the edge of which is thickened, coloured brown, and very sharp.

From The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex, Vol. I by Darwin, Charles