imbricate

American  

[im-bri-kit, -keyt, im-bri-keyt] / ˈɪm brɪ kɪt, -ˌkeɪt, ˈɪm brɪˌkeɪt /

adjective

1. overlapping in sequence, as tiles or shingles on a roof.

2. of, relating to, or resembling overlapping tiles, as decoration or drawings.

3. Biology. overlapping like tiles, as scales or leaves.

4. characterized by or as if by overlapping shingles.

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verb (used with or without object)

imbricated, imbricating

1. to overlap, as tiles or shingles.

imbricate British  

adjective

1. architect relating to or having tiles, shingles, or slates that overlap

2. botany (of leaves, scales, etc) overlapping each other

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verb

1. (tr) to decorate with a repeating pattern resembling scales or overlapping tiles

Other Word Forms

• imbricately adverb
• imbrication noun
• imbricative adjective
• nonimbricate adjective
• nonimbricated adjective
• nonimbricately adverb
• nonimbricating adjective
• nonimbricative adjective
• subimbricate adjective
• subimbricated adjective
• subimbricately adverb
• subimbricative adjective

Etymology

Origin of imbricate

1650–60; < Late Latin imbricātus tiled with imbrices, shaped like such a tile or tiling, equivalent to imbric- (stem of imbrex ) imbrex + -ātus -ate ¹

Example Sentences

Diagram of a flower of Linden, showing the calyx valvate and corolla imbricate in the bud, etc.

From The Elements of Botany For Beginners and For Schools by Gray, Asa

Sepals and petals in twos or threes, imbricate.

From The Manual of the Botany of the Northern United States Including the District East of the Mississippi and North of North Carolina and Tennessee by Gray, Asa

These fans consisted of the trains of peacocks or ostriches, whose quills were set in a long stem, so as to imbricate the plumes in the gradations of their natural growth.

From Shorter Novels, Eighteenth Century The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia; The Castle of Otranto, a Gothic Story; Vathek, an Arabian Tale by Beckford, William

Leaves round-quadrate, closely imbricate, deeply and obtusely 2–3-cleft; involucral leaves 3–4-cleft, connate at base, subserrate.

From The Manual of the Botany of the Northern United States Including the District East of the Mississippi and North of North Carolina and Tennessee by Gray, Asa

P. corky, effuso-reflexed, imbricate, almost glabrous, usually even, not zoned, thin, pallid, edge obtuse; g. anastomosing, dingy white, thickish.

From European Fungus Flora: Agaricaceae by Massee, George