2022-10-24

prettygoodword: text: words are sexy (Default)
2022-10-24 07:34 am

rivulose

rivulose (RIV-yuh-lohs) - adj., marked with thin, irregular, winding or crooked lines.


Most commonly used in botany, describing markings on e.g. leaves, but I can see many other fruitful uses. Coined from Latin rivulus, rivulet (diminutive of rīvus, brook/channel, from PIE *h₃riH-wó-s, the root of our river) + English adjectival ending -ose, alternate form of -ous esp. for stressed final syllables. (That last tidbit being my TIL, the difference between -ous and -ose.)

---L.