patelliform

9.9

Shaped like a shallow bowl or plate

adjective
/pəˈtɛlɪˌfɔrm/

Specialized

: pateliforme

The shell of this marine snail is distinctly patelliform and easily recognized.

Examples

Some mushrooms exhibit a patelliform cap when mature.
The mineral formed patelliform crystals on the rock surface.
That patelliform bowl looks exquisite!
I love this patelliform plate!
The shell of this marine snail is distinctly patelliform and easily recognized.
I love this patelliform plate for serving salads.
Some mushrooms exhibit a patelliform cap when mature.

Synonyms

bowl-shaped

vspatelliform

1 3.6

A shape with a curved bottom and an open top like a bowl

is similar but generally shallower and less deep overall

dish-shaped

vspatelliform

4.2

Curving inward like a shallow bowl

is shallower and more plate like rather than deep

dished

vspatelliform

6.3

A surface that curves inward like a shallow bowl

is the same concave form but slightly shallower in depth

bowl-like

vspatelliform

3.7

Rounded and hollow like a bowl

is more specifically shallow and plate oriented than this broader shape

How Dish-Shaped

bowl-shaped

1 3.6

dish-shaped

4.2

patelliform

Specialized

9.9

concave

5 5.2

flat

797 1.0

Surface Forms

patelliform positive

Morphology

patelliform = patella (semi-transparent) = patella + form

Formed from the technical noun 'patella' plus the combining suffix '-form'; the morphological relation is clear but the base is a specialized Latin-derived medical term unfamiliar to many learners.

Etymology

Patelliform comes from the Latin patella meaning 'small dish' and the ending -form meaning 'shape'. So, something patelliform is 'in the shape of a shallow dish or plate', which is why the word describes shells or mushroom caps that look like a shallow bowl.