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Glite Dictionary
cuneate leaf

cuneate leaf

8.6
A leaf with a narrow base that looks like a wedge
  • noun
  • /ˈkjuːniˌeɪt liːf/
  • Specialized
translation icon : hoja cuneiforme
  • The cuneate leaf is easily identified by its tapered base.

Examples

  • Many species in this genus are characterized by a cuneate leaf shape.

  • You can recognize a cuneate leaf by its sharp angle at the base, which resembles a wedge.

  • Botanists use the presence of a cuneate leaf as a key identifying feature.

  • Look at this cuneate leaf!

  • The plant has a beautiful cuneate leaf.

  • The cuneate leaf of this plant helps differentiate it from others in the same family.

  • In botany, a cuneate leaf is often used to describe leaves that taper to a narrow base.

How Wedge-shaped

cuneate leaf
  • Specialized
8.6
tapered
1 4.5

Surface Forms

cuneate leaf singular
cuneate leaves plural

Morphology

cuneate + leaf

The phrase is fully compositional: 'cuneate' (wedge-shaped, narrowing toward the base) modifies 'leaf' (a plant organ), so the meaning 'a wedge-shaped leaf' follows directly from the constituents. Although 'cuneate' is a low-frequency, technical adjective, the adjective+noun structure is regular and therefore immediately interpretable by a learner who knows both words.

Etymology

Cuneate leaf comes from an old word for 'wedge', so cuneate tells you the shape. It means a leaf with a narrow, pointed base that looks like a small wedge fitting into the stem, so the name now means 'a leaf shaped like a wedge'.