uncalcified
- adjective
- /ˌʌnˈkæl.sɪ.faɪd/
- Specialized
- The researcher noted that the uncalcified bones were more flexible than their hardened counterparts.
Examples
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The uncalcified tissue was easier to manipulate during the surgical procedure.
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In the laboratory, we observed that uncalcified specimens could bend without breaking.
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The smallest specimen (185 cm) had undeveloped testes, uncalcified claspers, and was immature.
Academic text (1994)
Synonyms
Not turned into bone and still soft
Not fully solid after making, like metal or mortar
How Calcified
- Specialized
Surface Forms
Morphology
uncalcified = calcified (transparent) = un + calcify + ed
Formation is a straightforward negation: 'calcified' (hardened by calcium deposits) + 'un-' = not hardened; the structure is clear though somewhat technical.
Etymology
The word uncalcified breaks into un- meaning 'not' and calcify meaning 'to make hard with calcium'. The root comes from the Latin word calx 'lime' and is the same source as calcium, so uncalcified means 'not hardened by calcium'.