vicinal

[ vis-uh-nl ]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or belonging to a neighborhood or district.
2. neighboring; adjacent.
3. Crystallography. noting a plane the position of which varies very little from that of a fundamental plane of the form.

vicinal

/ ˈvɪsɪnəl /

adjective

1. neighbouring
2. (esp of roads) of or relating to a locality or neighbourhood
3. chem relating to or designating two adjacent atoms to which groups are attached in a chain

Word History and Origins

Origin of vicinal¹

1615–25; < Latin vīcīnālis, equivalent to vīcīn ( us ) near + -ālis -al ¹; vicinity

Word History and Origins

Origin of vicinal¹

C17: from Latin vīcīnālis nearby, from vīcīnus, from vīcus a neighbourhood

Example Sentences

The faces of crystals are sometimes partly or completely replaced by smooth bright surfaces inclined at only a few minutes of arc from the true position of the face; such surfaces are called “vicinal faces,” and their indices can be expressed only by very high numbers.

From Project Gutenberg

The sides of the pits and elevations are bounded by small faces which have the character of vicinal faces.

From Project Gutenberg

It lies in a pleasant valley on the Hadersleben fjord, which is about 9 m. in length, and communicates with the Little Belt, and at the junction of the main line of railway from Woyens with three vicinal lines.

From Project Gutenberg

Dr. Stukely having discovered a Roman castrum and a vicinal road here, supposed it to be the Aquis of Ravennas.

From Project Gutenberg

He called the dinky, vicinal railroads whose earnings did not warrant their existence a "cancerous growth" on the U. S. transportation system.

From Time Magazine Archive