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Glite Dictionary
semilunar

semilunar

8.3
Shaped like a half moon
  • adjective
  • /ˌsɛmɪˈlunər/
translation icon : semilunar
  • The semilunar shape of the crescent moon made it the highlight of the night sky.

Examples

  • She wore a semilunar pendant that resembled the new moon.

  • The semilunar valve should be on our left any second now.

    Fantastic Voyage (1966)

  • The park featured beautifully manicured lawns in a semilunar design.

Synonyms

crescent-shaped
vssemilunar
3 3.8

Shaped like a curved moon

is the word for the same half-moon shape rather than a descriptive phrase
crescentic
vssemilunar
1 6.6

Shaped like a thin, curved moon

is focused on being shaped like a half-moon rather than merely marked
crescent
vssemilunar
1 3.9

Shaped like a curved moon, wide in the middle and pointed at both ends

is the broader half-moon sense rather than this specific shape description
lunate
vssemilunar
  • Specialized
8.6

Shaped like a crescent moon

is the same idea but names the half-moon form rather than general resemblance

Antonyms

round
273 1.0

Having the shape of a circle or sphere

Compounds

semilunar bone
  • Specialized
6.5

A moon-shaped bone in the middle of the wrist among other small bones

semilunar cartilage
  • Specialized
7.6

A half-moon piece of strong tissue in the knee that cushions the ends of bones

semilunar valve
  • Specialized
6.0

A part of the heart with moon-shaped flaps that stops blood flowing back after each beat

Surface Forms

semilunar positive

Morphology

semilunar = lunar (transparent) = semi + lunar

The meaning is directly compositional: 'semi-' means half and 'lunar' means moon-related, yielding 'half-moon shaped'.

Etymology

Semilunar comes from semi- ('half') and lunar ('moon'), so it literally means 'half-moon'. Think of a semicircle or the thin crescent you see in the sky, and you will remember that semilunar describes something shaped like a small crescent or half-moon.