columella
1
9.9
- noun
- /ˌkɒl.jəˈmɛl.ə/
- Specialized
- During the dissection, we examined the columella of the plant to understand its role in supporting the flower.
Examples
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The dentist explained that the columella is important for the development of certain tooth structures.
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Postoperatively, the nasal alar rims and columella healed well, with no cosmetic deformity (Figure 2).
Academic text (1998) -
Its columella is mostly straight.
Fiction book (2001) -
When there is a soft central segment, particularly with heavy skin, removing the same cartilage may result in a retracted columella.
Academic text (1995) -
Nasal examination revealed a foreshortening of the columella secondary to fibrosis with contracture (figure 3).
Academic text (2001) -
In her anatomy class, she learned that the columella supports the nasal structure in mammals.
Surface Forms
Etymology
Columella comes from the Latin columna ('column') plus the small ending -ella ('little'), so the word means 'little column'. That's why a columella is a small column-like part in plants, shells, or the nose.