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pinnate

 
pinnate
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pinnate

simple pinnate leaf
bipinnate leaf
(Elizabeth Morales)
(pĭn'āt') pronunciation also pin·nat·ed ('tĭd)
adj.
Resembling a feather; having parts or branches arranged on each side of a common axis: a polyp with a pinnate form; pinnate leaves.

[Latin pinnātus, feathered, from pinna, feather.]

pinnately pin'nate'ly adv.

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Like a feather. Refers to compound leaves or fronds arranged in two rows on either side of a central stalk.

Featherlike; said of a muscle in which the fibers lie at angles to its tendon. The fibers may be unipinnate, bipinnate, etc.

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categories related to 'pinnate'

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Random House Word Menu by Stephen Glazier
For a list of words related to pinnate, see:
  • Shapes - pinnate: (adj) resembling a feather, with similar parts arranged on opposite sides of an axis


Pinnate is a term used to describe feather-like or multi-divided features arising from both sides of a common axis in plant or animal structures, and comes from the Latin word pinna meaning "feather", "wing", or "fin". A similar term is pectinate, which refers to a comb-like arrangement of parts (arising from one side of an axis). The term contrasts somewhat with palmate, in which the parts or structures radiate out from a common point.

A pinnate frond of the fern, Blechnum appendiculatum.

Plants

Botanically, the term describes an arrangement of discrete structures (such as leaflets, veins, lobes, branches, or appendages) arising at multiple points along a common axis. For example, once-divided leaf blades having leaflets arranged on both sides of a rachis are pinnately compound leaves. Many palms (notably the feather palms) and most cycads and grevilleas have pinnately divided leaves. Most species of ferns have pinnate or more highly divided fronds, and in ferns the leaflets or segments are typically referred to as "pinnae" (singular "pinna"). Plants with pinnate leaves are sometimes colloquially called "feather-leaved".

pinnatifid and pinnatipartite: leaves with pinnate lobes that are not discrete, remaining sufficiently connected to each other that they are not separate leaflets.

pinnatisect: cut all the way to the midrib or other axis, but with the bases of the pinnae not contracted to form discrete leaflets.

pinnate-pinnatifid: pinnate, with the pinnae being pinnatifid.

paripinnate: pinnately compound leaves in which leaflets are born in pairs along the rachis without a single terminal leaflet; also called "even-pinnate".

imparipinnate: pinnately compound leaves in which there is a lone terminal leaflet rather than a terminal pair of leaflets; also called "odd-pinnate".

bipinnate: pinnately compound leaves in which the leaflets are themselves pinnately compound; also called "twice-pinnate".

tripinnate: pinnately compound leaves in which the leaflets are themselves bipinnate; also called "thrice-pinnate".

tetrapinnate: pinnately compound leaves in which the leaflets are themselves tripinnate.

unipinnate: solitary compound leaf with a row of leaflets arranged along each side of a common rachis.

Animals

In animals, pinnate is used to describe feather-like structures:

  • Some muscles can be unipinnate or bipinnate muscles
  • The fish, Platax pinnatus, is known as the pinnate spadefish or pinnate batfish. Plus the "pinnate bird" is also covered in feathers that look like leaves.

Geomorphology

The term is also used to describe certain waterway systems in which all major tributary streams enter the main channels by flowing in one direction at an oblique angle.


Translations:

Pinnate

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Dansk (Danish)
adj. - fjerlignende, finnet

Nederlands (Dutch)
geveerd (blad), getakt (aan weerszijden van as)

Français (French)
adj. - qui ressemble à une plume, (Bot) en forme de plumes (lobes)

Deutsch (German)
adj. - (Bot.) gefiedert

Ελληνική (Greek)
adj. - πτεροειδής

Italiano (Italian)
pennato, pinnato

Português (Portuguese)
adj. - pinulado (Bot.)

Русский (Russian)
перистый

Español (Spanish)
adj. - pinada

Svenska (Swedish)
adj. - parbladig (bot.)

中文(简体)(Chinese (Simplified))
羽状的

中文(繁體)(Chinese (Traditional))
adj. - 羽狀的

한국어 (Korean)
adj. - 날개 모양의, 날개가 있는

日本語 (Japanese)
adj. - 羽状の, 翼のある

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(صفه) ريشي ا لشكل‏

עברית (Hebrew)
adj. - ‮מנוצה (עלה)‬


 
 

 

Copyrights:

American Heritage Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Taylor's Dictionary for Gardeners. Taylor's Dictionary for Gardeners, by Frances Tenenbaum. Copyright © 1997 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Saunders Veterinary Dictionary. Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary 3rd Edition. Copyright © 2007 by D.C. Blood, V.P. Studdert and C.C. Gay, Elsevier. All rights reserved.  Read more
Random House Word Menu. © 2010 Write Brothers Inc. Word Menu is a registered trademark of the Estate of Stephen Glazier. Write Brothers Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia on Answers.com. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Pinnate Read more
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