bacule

B3A1C3U1L1E1
/ˈbækjuːl/

noun

A rod-like element on the surface of some pollen.

Scrabble 10

Meanings

bacule1

nounbacule (plural bacules)

plural bacules

  1. alternativedatedrareAlternative form of bascule.

    A bacule bridge spans the river.

    1964, Hans Gade, Hans Gade's European Harbour Pilot, page 354
    4 more examples

    At the extremity of this Bacule, is tied a cord, which passes thro' the pulley S, and terminates at the extremity of the arm, where it is fastened to a little bowl M;

    1739, Mr. Baddam, Memoirs of the Royal Society, page 110

    The following works will be carried out during the year: Extensions to infectious diseases hospital, £5,000; extensions to borough sanatorium, £4,500; school clinic, tuberculosis dispensary, and new offices for medical officer, £ 7,500; ferro-concrete bridge over Orwell, £3,000; steel bacule bridge over Orwell, £ 7,500; and public swimming and slipper baths, £7,000.

    1914, The Surveyor and Municipal Engineer - Volume 45, page 208

    A bacule bridge having a stationary pivot, a counterweight having a stationary pivot, the bridge leaf and counterweight being adapted to rotate in opposite directions about their respective pivots, a vertical track located between the two pivots, a roller adapted to travel vertically along the track, and two stiff links,

    1922, Canadian Patent Office Record - Volume 50, Issues 27-52, page 3453

    The new bridge is a double leaf trunnion bacule bridge of the “Chicago Type".

    1949, Chicago (Ill.). Bureau of Engineering. Division of Bridges & Viaducts, In Commemoration of the Opening to Traffic of the Bataan-Corregidor Memorial Bridge and North Approach Viaduct at State Street, Saturday, May 28, 1949 at 12:30 P.M., page 9

bacule2

nounbacule (plural bacules)

plural bacules

  1. biologyA rod-like element on the surface of some pollen.

    Atyug (1971) pointed out that the pollen of S. compacta have prominent bacules. The present electron microscopic study, however reveals that those protuberences are spinules and not bacules.

    1998, Journal of Palynology, volume 34, numbers 1-4, page 5

    Synonyms: baculum, columella

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA rod-like element on the surface of some pollen.

Origin

bacule · noun

  1. Latinbattuō“beat”
  2. Old Frenchbattre
  3. Old Frenchbacul
  4. Frenchbacule
  5. Englishbacule

From French bacule, from Old French bacul, from Old French battre + cul, from Latin battuō (“beat”) + cul (“bottom”). Cognate with French bascule.

Full word history & related roots →

bacule · noun

  1. Latinbaculum
  2. Englishbacule

Borrowed from Latin baculum.

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

bacule. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bacule

MLA

“bacule.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bacule. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bacule,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bacule.

Source: bacule on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.