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or·bic·u·lar

(ôr-bĭkyə-lər)

adj.

1. Circular or spherical.

2. Botany Circular and flat. Used especially of leaves.

[Middle English orbiculer, from Old French orbiculaire, from Late Latin orbiculāris, from Latin orbiculus, diminutive of orbis, circle, disk; see orbh- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

or·bic′u·lari·ty (-lărĭ-tē) n.

or·bicu·lar·ly adv.

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orbicular

orbicular leaf

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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