FORFICATE

bifurcate, biramous, branched, forked, fork-like, forficate, pronged, prongy

(adjective) resembling a fork; divided or separated into two branches; “the biramous appendages of an arthropod”; “long branched hairs on its legson which pollen collects”; “a forked river”; “a forked tail”; “forked lightning”; “horseradish grown in poor soil may develop prongy roots”

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Adjective

forficate (comparative more forficate, superlative most forficate)

(zoology) Deeply forked, like the tails of certain birds.

Source: Wiktionary


For"fi*cate, a. Etym: [L. forfex, forficis, shears.] (Zoöl.)

Definition: Deeply forked, as the tail of certain birds.

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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Coffee Trivia

The word “coffee” entered the English language in 1582 via the Dutch “koffie,” borrowed from the Ottoman Turkish “kahve,” borrowed in turn from the Arabic “qahwah.” The Arabic word qahwah was traditionally held to refer to a type of wine.

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