PATELLA

Patella, genus Patella

(noun) type genus of the family Patellidae: common European limpets

patella, kneecap, kneepan

(noun) a small flat triangular bone in front of the knee that protects the knee joint

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Noun

patella (plural patellas or patellae)

(skeleton) The sesamoid bone of the knee; the kneecap.

A little dish or vase.

Synonyms

• (kneecap): kneecap, kneepan, rotula

Source: Wiktionary


Pa*tel"la, n.; pl. Patellæ. Etym: [L., a small pan, the kneepan, dim. of patina, patena, a pan, dish.]

1. A small dish, pan, or vase.

2. (Anat.)

Definition: The kneepan; the cap of the knee.

3. (Zoöl.)

Definition: A genus of marine gastropods, including many species of limpets. The shell has the form of a flattened cone. The common European limpet (Patella vulgata) is largely used for food.

4. (Bot.)

Definition: A kind of apothecium in lichens, which is orbicular, flat, and sessile, and has a special rim not a part of the thallus.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

29 April 2024

SUBDUCTION

(noun) a geological process in which one edge of a crustal plate is forced sideways and downward into the mantle below another plate


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Coffee Trivia

According to Guinness World Records, the most massive cup of coffee contained 22,739.14 liters and was created by Alcaldía Municipal de Chinchiná (Colombia) at Parque de Bolívar, Chinchiná, Caldas, Colombia, on 15 June 2019. Fifty people worked for more than a month to build this giant cup. The drink prepared was Arabic coffee.

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