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Glite Dictionary
🦶 A foot bone ⛵ Boat-shaped
navicular

navicular

9.9
Shaped like a small boat
  • adjective
  • /nəˈvɪkjələr/
  • Specialized
translation icon : navicular
  • The doctor explained that the navicular structure is crucial for the proper movement of the ankle.
  • navicular bone

Examples

  • There is also medial subluxation of the navicular bone on the talar head so that it abuts the medial malleolus.

    Academic text (2005)

  • Veterinarians often examine the navicular bones to diagnose foot problems in horses.

  • The navicular area of the foot can be susceptible to various injuries due to its unique shape.

Synonyms

boat-shaped
vsnavicular
1 4.7

A shape with curved sides like a small boat

is used mainly for anatomical shapes rather than general forms
scaphoid
vsnavicular
  • Specialized
9.8

Shaped like a small boat, especially a bone in the wrist

is an adjective for anatomical parts with the same curved vessel-like outline
boatlike
vsnavicular
3.9

Shaped like a boat

is more specific and technical and applied to anatomical structures

Surface Forms

navicular positive

Morphology

navicular = navicul + ar

The word is a learned Latin-derived adjective (navicul- + -ar); the combining form 'navicul-' is not a productive or recognizable modern English base, so learners cannot reliably infer 'boat-shaped' from the parts.

Etymology

Navicular comes from the Latin navicula ('little ship') from navis ('ship'), so it literally means 'boat-shaped'. That's why we call fossils or other objects navicular when they have a small boat form.