recurvate
- adjective
- /rɪˈkɜrveɪt/
- Specialized
:
recurvado
- Some plant leaves are recurvate at the tips, curling toward the stem.
Examples
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The bird's beak is slightly recurvate, helping it to probe for insects.
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The fossil was identified by its recurvate claws, which curved sharply inward.
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The recurvate shape of the leaf caught my attention.
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Some birds have a recurvate beak that helps them feed.
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Some plant leaves are recurvate at the tips, curling toward the stem.
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The bird's beak is slightly recurvate, helping it to probe for insects.
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Some birds have a recurvate beak that helps them feed.
Synonyms
With a tip that bends backward or inward
A body part that is bent backward, for example a tongue or uterus
Bent backward, like a claw or a leaf
Bent so it points backward or downward, like hairs on some plants
Angled to point toward the back rather than forward
How Curved
Surface Forms
Morphology
recurvate = curvate (semi-transparent) = re + curv + ate
The connection to a Latinate base meaning 'curved' is visible, and 're-' contributes a backward sense, but the derivation is not fully obvious for typical learners.
Etymology
Recurvate comes from the prefix re- meaning 'back' and the root curv-, the same root as in curve, which means 'bend'. So, recurvate simply means 'bent back' or turned inward, which fits leaves, beaks, or claws that curve toward the stem or body.