orbicula

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noun

A dorsal sclerite over a hymenopteran arolium; a hard exoskeletal feature with species-specific shape that overhangs and protects the adhesive tip of such an insect's leg and around which the claw(s) curl. Abbreviation "or" or "rb".

OriginLatin orbiculus →
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Meanings

nounorbicula (plural orbiculas or orbiculae)

plural orbiculas · plural orbiculae

  1. A dorsal sclerite over a hymenopteran arolium; a hard exoskeletal feature with species-specific shape that overhangs and protects the adhesive tip of such an insect's leg and around which the claw(s) curl. Abbreviation "or" or "rb".
  2. datedbiologyA discina (brachiopod).

Origin

  1. Latinorbiculus
  2. Englishorbicula

Misconstruction of Latin orbiculus, a back-formation from orbicle.

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

biocular
Cite this entry
APA

orbicula. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/orbicula

MLA

“orbicula.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/orbicula. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “orbicula,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/orbicula.

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