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Glite Dictionary
costate

costate

9.9
Having raised lines like ribs on a shell or leaf
  • adjective
  • Specialized
translation icon : costado
  • The costate leaves of the fern are easily identifiable by their prominent ridges.

Examples

  • Some mollusks develop costate shells as a form of structural reinforcement.

  • The fossil showed a costate pattern along the thoracic region, indicating rib development.

  • The costate leaves of the plant give it a unique appearance.

  • Can you identify the costate features on this shell?

  • The costate leaves of the fern are easily identifiable by their prominent ridges.

  • Some mollusks develop costate shells as a form of structural reinforcement.

  • Can you identify the costate features on this shell?

Synonyms

ribbed
vscostate
1 4.4

A surface with raised lines you can feel, like on a sweater or glass

is a more formal word used for that rib-like texture
ridged
vscostate
1 5.0

Having raised lines or bands on the surface like a coin edge

refers specifically to rib-shaped ridges rather than any raised band
ribby
vscostate
7.8

Having raised ridges on a surface like fabric or a vase

is the more formal technical word rather than design-oriented
riblike
vscostate
4.9

Shaped like a long thin curved bone at the side of the chest

focuses on the actual ribbed texture rather than mere resemblance

How Ribbed

costate
  • Specialized
9.9
ridged
1 5.0
keeled
  • Specialized
1 8.8
smooth
256 1.0

Surface Forms

costate positive

Morphology

costate = costa (opaque) = costa + ate

The adjective is formed from the technical Latin-derived base 'costa' (a specialized anatomical/botanical term) plus '-ate', which is not transparent to an average B1 learner.

Etymology

The word costate comes from the Latin word costa, which means 'rib'. So costate describes something with 'ribs' or rib-like ridges, like a shell or leaf with clear raised lines.