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Glite Dictionary
papillary

papillary

1 8.7
Relating to a small, nipple-shaped bump on the skin or a body surface
  • adjective
  • /ˈpæpɪˌlɛri/
  • Specialized
: papilar
  • The dermatologist identified several papillary lesions on the patient's skin.
  • papillary tumor
  • papillary carcinoma
  • papillary thyroid

Examples

  • The present case raises the possibility that aggressive papillary tumors of the middle ear may be a separate entity from ELST.

    Academic text (2008)

  • A papillary projection was observed in the microscopic examination of the tissue sample.

  • One had papillary cancer and the other a follicular variant of papillary cancer.

    Academic text (2006)

  • I've been using a pair of glasses with an incorrect papillary distance for actually like the past four years.

  • A literature search revealed 24 previously reported cases of such a papillary epithelial tumor of the middle ear.

    Academic text (2008)

  • I knew the pathology report by heart: papillary carcinoma with an unknown primary.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • We evaluated a 38-year-old woman who had been diagnosed with papillary cancer 7 years earlier.

    Academic text (2005)

  • Aggressive papillary tumors of the middle ear are rare, and their true origin is not clear.

    Academic text (2008)

  • In subsequent reports, other authors have distinguished papillary and nonpapillary variants of PLGA.

    Academic text (2005)

  • Increasing evidence points to an association between both aggressive papillary tumors of the middle ear and ELST with VHL disease.

    Academic text (2008)

Synonyms

mammillary
vspapillary
  • Specialized
1 9.8

Having many small rounded bumps like nipples

is focused on relation to papillae specifically rather than general rounded bumps
papular
vspapillary
  • Specialized
8.8

A surface with many small nipple-like bumps often on plants or animals

is a broader descriptor for anything relating to or resembling such projections
papillose
vspapillary
  • Specialized
9.9

Covered with many small rounded bumps

is a general term for resemblance rather than the surface being covered
papillate
vspapillary
  • Specialized
9.9

A surface covered with many small rounded bumps

is the wider term for relating to or resembling those projections
papilliform
vspapillary
  • Specialized
9.9

Shaped like a small rounded bump, for example a nipple

is broader, indicating relation or resemblance rather than exact shape
papillomatous
vspapillary
  • Specialized
9.9

Having many small bumps that look like nipples

is the general word for resemblance, not specific to growths or lesions

Compounds

papillary muscle
  • Specialized
1 7.0

Small heart muscle that pulls valves to stop blood flowing back to the upper chambers when the heart beats

papillary tumor
  • Specialized
1 6.7

A noncancerous growth of thin skin-like cells that makes a small nipple-shaped bump

How Raised

papillate
  • Specialized
9.9
papilliform
  • Specialized
9.9
papillary
  • Specialized
1 8.7
uneven
48 2.3
flat
414 1.0

Surface Forms

papillary positive

Morphology

papillary = papilla (transparent) = papilla + ary

The adjective is a regular derivation from the noun 'papilla' with the productive suffix '-ary', so the meaning 'relating to a papilla' is directly derived.

Etymology

The word papillary comes from the Latin papilla, which means 'nipple', and the ending -ary, meaning 'related to'. So papillary describes small 'nipple-like' bumps or tiny raised parts, which is why doctors use it for little projections on the skin or in organs.