CARUNCLE

caruncle, caruncula

(noun) an outgrowth on a plant or animal such as a fowl’s wattle or a protuberance near the hilum of certain seeds

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Noun

caruncle (plural caruncles)

A small, fleshy excrescence that is a normal part of an animal's anatomy.

Coordinate terms: comb, cockscomb, crest, snood, wattle

A similar excrescence near the hilum of some seeds.

Synonym: elaiosome

Source: Wiktionary


Car"un*cle, Ca*run"cu*la, n. Etym: [L. caruncula a little piece of flesh, dim. of caro flesh.]

1. (Anat.)

Definition: A small fleshy prominence or excrescence; especially the small, reddish body, the caruncula lacrymalis, in the inner angle of the eye.

2. (Bot.)

Definition: An excrescence or appendage surrounding or near the hilum of a seed.

3. (Zoöl.)

Definition: A naked, flesh appendage, on the head of a bird, as the wattles of a turkey, etc.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

3 April 2025

WHOLE

(noun) an assemblage of parts that is regarded as a single entity; “how big is that part compared to the whole?”; “the team is a unit”


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