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Glite Dictionary
🦗 A forked organ 🌿 Forked shape 🦴 Relating to furcula
furcal

furcal

9.9
Relating to the small forked bone in a bird's chest
  • adjective
  • /ˈfɜr.kəl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : furcular
  • Comparing furcal features can reveal evolutionary relationships among different bird species.

Examples

  • The scientist noted the furcal structure in the bird's skeleton during the dissection.

  • Some insects have a furcal organ that helps them jump long distances.

  • The furcal structure is essential for bird flight.

  • Birds have a unique furcal bone that aids in their movement.

  • The scientist noted the furcal structure in the bird's skeleton during the dissection.

  • Some insects have a furcal organ that helps them jump long distances.

  • Birds have a unique furcal bone that aids in their movement.

Surface Forms

furcal positive

Morphology

furcal = furca (opaque) = furca + al

This technical adjective is still formed from the rare base furca plus -al, so the relation is formal but not likely to be inferable for most learners.

Etymology

The word furcal comes from Latin furcula, meaning 'little fork', the same root that gives the bird's 'wishbone'. So furcal is used for things that relate to that forked bone or similar structures.