pectinate

P3E1C3T1I1N1A1T1E1
/ˈpɛktəneɪt/

adjective

Having narrow ridges or projections aligned close together like the teeth of a comb.

“The moth's antennae were pectinate in shape, set with long teeth along one edge only.”

Similar
pectinatedrough
OriginLatin pectinātus →
Scrabble 13
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Meanings

pectinate1

adjectivepectinate (not comparable)
  1. Resembling a comb.
    1. not comparableanatomyHaving narrow ridges or projections aligned close together like the teeth of a comb.

      The moth's antennae were pectinate in shape, set with long teeth along one edge only.

      Synonyms: pectinated

    2. not comparablebiologyStriate.

      Synonyms: pectinated

verbpectinate (third-person singular simple present pectinates, present participle pectinating, simple past and past participle pectinated)

present singular third person pectinates · participle present pectinating · participle past pectinated · past pectinated

  1. ambitransitiveTo fit together in an alternating manner; to interlock or interdigitate.

    To ſet croſſe legg’d, or with our fingers pectinated or ſhut together is accounted bad, and friends will perſwade us from it.

    1646, Thomas Browne, “Compendiouſly of many queſtionable cuſtomes, opinions, pictures, practiſes, and popular obſervations”, in Pseudodoxia Epidemica: […], London: […] T[homas] H[arper] for Edward Dod, […], →OCLC, 5th book, paragraph 9, page 266

pectinate2

nounpectinate (plural pectinates)

plural pectinates

  1. chemistryAn ester or salt formed of pectinic acid.

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveHaving narrow ridges or projections aligned close together like the teeth of a comb.

Similar
pectinated

adjectiveStriate.

Similar
pectinated

More synonyms by meaning

adjectivelike a comb

Similar
rough
Also see
pectinated

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

pectinate · adjective, verb

  1. Latinpectinātus“combed”
  2. Englishpectinate

Borrowed from Latin pectinātus (“combed”), from pectinō (“to comb”), from pecten (“comb”). First attested in the mid-18th century. By surface analysis, Latin pectin- (“comb, scallop”) + -ate.

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

pectinate · noun

  1. Proto-Indo-European*peh₂ǵ-
  2. Ancient Greekπήγνῡμι (pḗgnūmi)
  3. Ancient Greekπηκτός (pēktós)
  4. Ancient Greekπηκτικός (pēktikós)
  5. Frenchacide pectique
  6. Frenchpectine
  7. Englishpectin
  8. Englishpectinate

From pectin + -ate (“chemical suffix”).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian гребенчат
  • гребенчат (grebenčat)resembling a comb
Portuguese pectinado
  • pectinadoresembling a comb
Spanish pectinado
  • pectinadoresembling a comb

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Epictetanpencatite
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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