terete

Aug. 8th, 2016 07:49 am
prettygoodword: text: words are sexy (words are sexy)
[personal profile] prettygoodword
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.

June 2025

S M T W T F S
1 2 3 4 5 67
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
2930     

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags
Page generated Jun. 9th, 2025 12:11 pm
Powered by Dreamwidth Studios