IMBRICATE

imbricate, imbricated

(adjective) used especially of leaves or bracts; overlapping or layered as scales or shingles

imbricate

(verb) overlap; “The roof tiles imbricate”

imbricate

(verb) place so as to overlap; “imbricate the roof tiles”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Adjective

imbricate (not comparable)

Having regular overlapping edges; intertwined.

Verb

imbricate (third-person singular simple present imbricates, present participle imbricating, simple past and past participle imbricated)

(transitive or intransitive) To overlap in a regular pattern.

(linguistics) To undergo or cause to undergo imbrication.

Source: Wiktionary

Im"bri*cate, Im"bri*ca`ted, a. Etym: [L. imbricatus, p.p. of imbricare to cover with tiles, to form like a gutter tile, fr. imbrex, -icis, a hollow tile, gutter tile, fr. imber rain.]

1. Bent and hollowed like a roof or gutter tile.

2. Lying over each other in regular order, so as to "break joints," like tiles or shingles on a roof, the scales on the leaf buds of plants and the cups of some acorns, or the scales of fishes; overlapping each other at the margins, as leaves in æstivation.

3. In decorative art: Having scales lapping one over the other, or a representation of such scales; as, an imbricated surface; an imbricated pattern.

Im"bri*cate, v. t.

Definition: To lay in order, one lapping over another, so as to form an imbricated surface.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition