antambulacral
|an-tam-bu-la-cral|
/ˌæn.tæmˈbjuː.krəl/
opposite an ambulacrum
Etymology
'antambulacral' originates from the combining form 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti-', meaning 'opposite') joined to 'ambulacral' (from Latin 'ambulacrum', a place for walking or a passage, used in biology for the band bearing tube feet).
'ambulacrum' is a Latin noun used in anatomical/biological contexts; from it came the adjective 'ambulacral' in Modern/Scientific Latin and English; 'antambulacral' was formed by prefixing Greek-derived 'anti-' to 'ambulacral' to indicate opposition to an ambulacrum.
Initially formed to denote 'opposite an ambulacrum,' the term has retained this specialized morphological meaning in echinoderm anatomy.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
(noun form derived from the adjective) A region or structural element that is antambulacral; i.e., lying opposite an ambulacrum.
Researchers noted an enlargement in the antambulacral on the specimen's underside.
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Adjective 1
located on, relating to, or positioned opposite an ambulacrum (the area bearing tube feet) — essentially the interambulacral region in echinoderms.
The antambulacral plates of the sea urchin are arranged between the ambulacral zones.
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Last updated: 2025/08/20 17:22