pinnate
|pin-nate|
/ˈpɪnət/
feather-like arrangement
Etymology
'pinnate' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'pinnatus', where 'pinna' meant 'feather' or 'wing'.
'pinnate' came into English via New/Modern Latin 'pinnatus' (past participle of 'pinna') and was adopted into scientific and botanical usage in English.
Initially, it meant 'feathered' or 'winged'; over time it came to mean 'having parts arranged like a feather', chiefly in botanical and anatomical contexts.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
having leaflets or divisions arranged on either side of a common axis, resembling a feather (used especially in botany).
The fern has pinnate leaves with many small leaflets along a central stem.
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Adjective 2
arranged like a feather; having structures (such as veins, appendages, or parts) set along both sides of an axis.
The bird's tail feathers were pinnate, forming a flat, feather-like fan.
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Last updated: 2025/09/19 17:02