cribellum

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/kɹɪˈbɛləm/

noun

A spinning organ having many fine pores, situated in front of the spinners in some araneomorph spiders.

OriginLate Latin cribellum ← Latin cribrum →
Scrabble 15
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Meanings

nouncribellum (plural cribella)

plural cribella

  1. biologyA spinning organ having many fine pores, situated in front of the spinners in some araneomorph spiders.

    1996: some groups of spiders have a sieve-like plate, the cribellum, just in front of the spinners. — Michael J. Roberts, Spiders of Britain and Northern Europe (Collins 1996, p. 17)

Origin

  1. Latincribrum“sieve”
  2. Late Latincribellum
  3. Englishcribellum

Borrowed from Late Latin cribellum, diminutive of Latin cribrum (“sieve”).

More words from Late Latin, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan cribel
  • cribelspinning organ
French cribellum
  • cribellumspinning organ
Spanish cribelo
  • cribelospinning organ
Cite this entry
APA

cribellum. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cribellum

MLA

“cribellum.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cribellum. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cribellum,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cribellum.

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