Meanings
plural caruncles
- anatomyA small, fleshy excrescence that is a normal part of an animal's anatomy.
- abbreviationclippinganatomyClipping of lacrimal caruncle: the red prominence at the inner corner of the eye.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA colored waxy or oily outgrowth near the micropyle of some seeds, attractive to ants which aid the seed's dispersal.
More synonyms by meaning
nounan outgrowth on a plant or animal such as a fowl's wattle or a protuberance near the hilum of certain seeds
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latincaruncula“a little piece of flesh”
- Middle Frenchcaruncule
- Englishcaruncle
Borrowed from Middle French caruncule, from Latin caruncula (“a little piece of flesh”), diminutive of carō (“flesh”). Doublet of caruncula.
More words from Middle French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan carúncula
- carúnculasmall, fleshy excrescence on an animal — see also wattle
Finnish lihake
- lihakesmall, fleshy excrescence on an animal — see also wattle
French caroncule
- caronculesmall, fleshy excrescence on an animal — see also wattle
Māori koukou
- koukousmall, fleshy excrescence on an animal — see also wattle
Polish przydatek głowowy
- przydatek głowowysmall, fleshy excrescence on an animal — see also wattle
Russian мясистый нарост, мясцо
- мясистый нарост (mjasistyj narost)small, fleshy excrescence on an animal — see also wattle
- мясцо (mjasco)small, fleshy excrescence on an animal — see also wattle
- гребень (grebenʹ)small, fleshy excrescence on an animal — see also wattle
- карункула (karunkula)small, fleshy excrescence on an animal — see also wattle
- присеменник (prisemennik)small, fleshy excrescence on an animal — see also wattle
- бородавчатое возвышение (borodavčatoje vozvyšenije)small, fleshy excrescence on an animal — see also wattle
- сосочек (sosoček)small, fleshy excrescence on an animal — see also wattle
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with caruncle
All rhymes →Cite this entry
caruncle. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/caruncle
“caruncle.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/caruncle. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “caruncle,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/caruncle.
Source: caruncle on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.