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terete (tuh-REET, TER-eet) - adj., having a circular cross-section, cylindrical.
Hardly ever used outside of botany. When used of a plant stem, it usually also implies tapering at either end, which is getting very specific on the context side of things. Adopted around 1620, in the earlier form teret, from Latin teret-, stem of teres, smooth and round, related to terere, to rub. So, rubbed smooth and round, essentially.
---L.
Hardly ever used outside of botany. When used of a plant stem, it usually also implies tapering at either end, which is getting very specific on the context side of things. Adopted around 1620, in the earlier form teret, from Latin teret-, stem of teres, smooth and round, related to terere, to rub. So, rubbed smooth and round, essentially.
---L.
