muricate

[ myoor-i-keyt ]

adjective

, Botany, Zoology.

1. covered with short, sharp points.

muricate

/ ˈmjʊərɪˌkeɪt /

adjective

1. biology having a surface roughened by numerous short points

   muricate stems

Word History and Origins

Origin of muricate¹

1655–65; < Latin mūricātus like a murex, equivalent to mūric- (stem of mūrex ) murex + -ātus -ate ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of muricate¹

C17: from Latin mūricātus pointed like a murex

Example Sentences

Pod prickly or muricate, short, nearly indehiscent.

From Project Gutenberg

Follicles oblong or ovate, often somewhat muricate with soft spinous projections.

From Project Gutenberg

Fruiting bracts with margins often dilated and sides often muricate.

From Project Gutenberg

Silvery-mealy, diffusely spreading; leaves oblong, narrowed at base, nearly sessile; fruiting bracts broadly wedge-shaped, united, 3-nerved, 2–5 toothed at the summit, and usually strongly muricate and reticulate on the sides.—Sandy beaches, along the coast, Mass. to Fla. 3.

From Project Gutenberg

Spores large, reddish, minutely muricate.

From Project Gutenberg