biconcave

[ bahy-kon-keyv, bahy-kon-keyv ]

adjective

1. concave on both sides, as a lens.

biconcave

/ ˌbaɪkɒnˈkeɪv; baɪˈkɒnkeɪv; ˌbaɪkɒnˈkævɪtɪ /

adjective

1. (of a lens) having concave faces on both sides; concavo-concave

biconcave

/ bī′kŏn-kāv′ /

1. Concave on both sides or surfaces.

Derived Forms

• biconcavity, noun

Other Words From

• bi·con·cav·i·ty [bahy-k, uh, n-, kav, -i-tee], noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of biconcave¹

First recorded in 1825–35; bi- ¹ + concave

Example Sentences

This batch provided an answer: He had hereditary spherocytosis, a disease in which the red blood cells were tiny spheres rather than the usual biconcave discs.

From New York Times

They are compact, flexible and shaped like biconcave disks, which helps them slip through narrow capillaries and gives them a high volume-to-surface area ration, so they can hold a lot of hemoglobin and oxygen.

From Scientific American

The viewer observes Mr. Jacobs’s teeming green worlds through a custom-ordered biconcave lens.

From New York Times

Kolios' team's method works best with red blood cells because of their biconcave shape, which gives them the unique ability to absorb light better than platelets and white blood cells.

From Science Magazine

The vertebrae are biconcave, and although the gills are lost in the adult, ossified gill-arches, two to four in number, persist.

From Project Gutenberg