PALMATE

palmate, palm-shaped

(adjective) of a leaf shape; having leaflets or lobes radiating from a common point

palmate

(adjective) (of the feet of water birds) having three toes connected by a thin fold of skin

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Adjective

palmate (not comparable)

(chiefly, botany) Having three or more lobes or veins arising from a common point.

(botany) (leaves) Having more than three leaflets arising from a common point, often in the form of a fan.

(rare) Having webbed appendage; palmated.

(rare) Hand-like; shaped like a hand with extended fingers

Usage notes

• The word is rare outside of technical writing, and hardly ever qualify things other than leaves.

• A compound leaf with more than three leaflets (trifoliate) radiating from the same point is more usually called palmate or palmately compound to avoid ambiguity.

• While "palmated" is a more usual term when referring to webbed appendages. "Palmate" is often found in zoological nomenclature as the Latin term for both meanings is palmatus.

Noun

palmate (plural palmates)

(chemistry) A salt or ester of ricinoleic acid (formerly called palmic acid); a ricinoleate.

Usage notes

• Used primarily as part of the International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients

Anagrams

• lampate, pelmata

Source: Wiktionary

Pal"mate, n.

Definition: (Chem.) A salt of palmic acid; a ricinoleate. [Obsoles.]

Pal"mate, Pal"ma*ted, a. Etym: [L. palmatus marked with the palm of a hand, from palma the palm of the hand.]

1. Having the shape of the hand; resembling a hand with the fingers spread.

2. (Bot.)

Definition: Spreading from the apex of a petiole, as the divisions of a leaf, or leaflets, so as to resemble the hand with outspread fingers. Gray.

3. (Zoöl.) (a) Having the anterior toes united by a web, as in most swimming birds; webbed. See Illust. (i) under Aves. (b) Having the distal portion broad, flat, and more or less divided into lobes; -- said of certain corals, antlers, etc.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition