lunule

lu·nule
L1U1N1U1L1E1
/ˈluː.njuːl/

noun

Anything crescent-shaped; a crescent-shaped part or mark; a lunula or lune.

“The architect incorporated a lunule design into the arched windows of the cathedral.”

Similar
half-moonlunula
OriginFrench lunule ← Latin lūnula →
Scrabble 6
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Meanings

nounlunule (plural lunules)

plural lunules

  1. Anything crescent-shaped; a crescent-shaped part or mark; a lunula or lune.

    The architect incorporated a lunule design into the arched windows of the cathedral.

    1 more example

    A healthy lunule is usually most prominent on the thumb and may be invisible on the pinky finger.

  2. An area in front of the beak of many bivalve shells, sometimes shaped like a double crescent, but more often heart-shaped.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounthe crescent-shaped area at the base of the human fingernail

Similar
half-moonlunula
Broader
arearegion
Also see
half-moonlunula

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latinlūnula
  2. Frenchlunule
  3. Englishlunule

Borrowed from French lunule, from Latin lūnula, diminutive of lūna (“moon”). By surface analysis, luna + -ule.

More words from French, Latin

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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