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cupular

cupular

9.9
Having the shape of a small cup that holds a seed
  • adjective
  • /ˈkjuːpjələr/
  • Specialized
translation icon : cupular
  • The botanist described the seed's cupular base during her presentation.

Examples

  • The acorn was nestled in a cupular structure on the branch.

  • The architect designed a cupular roof for the new library.

  • Certain moss capsules are enclosed within a cupular covering.

  • Is the cupular structure stable enough to support the weight?

  • The acorn was nestled in a cupular structure at the base of the tree.

  • Certain moss capsules are enclosed within a cupular covering that protects the spores.

  • The botanist described the seed's cupular base as an important adaptation for its environment.

Synonyms

cupulate
vscupular
  • Specialized
9.9

A plant part shaped like a small cup that often holds a seed

is the broader morphological adjective for the same small botanical cup shape
cuplike
vscupular
4.1

Shaped like a cup that can hold water

refers instead to the smaller plant cup shape rather than a full cup

Surface Forms

cupular positive

Morphology

cupular = cupule (transparent) = cupule + ar

Formed by regular adjectival suffixation of 'cupule' to mean 'shaped like or pertaining to a cupule'.

Etymology

Cupular comes from the Latin cupula, meaning 'little cup', and is like the everyday word cup. So cupular means 'cup-shaped' and is used for things like the small cup that holds an acorn or the covering around moss seeds.