areolated
|a-re-o-lat-ed|
/ˈær.iəˌleɪtɪd/
(areolate)
divided into small areas
Etymology
'areolated' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'areola' (a diminutive of 'area'), where 'areola' meant 'a small open space or little area'.
'areolated' changed from Latin 'areolatus' (formed from 'areola') into Late Latin and then into English via scientific and descriptive usage (Middle English/Modern English formation from 'areolate'), eventually becoming the modern English adjective and verb form 'areolated'.
Initially it referred to a 'small open space' or 'little area' (from Latin 'areola'); over time it came to describe surfaces or structures that are 'divided into small areas' or 'marked with small patches' as in modern scientific usage.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Verb 1
past tense or past participle form of 'areolate' — to divide into or mark with areolae; to form small distinct areas or patches.
After weeks of drying, the lake bed areolated into a mosaic of polygonal plates.
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Adjective 1
divided into or marked by small areas or patches (areolae); having a surface broken into distinct small spaces or network-like cells.
The areolated surface of the lichen retained moisture between the tiny patches.
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Last updated: 2025/10/11 02:46