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columella

Syllabification: (col·u·mel·la)
Pronunciation: /ˌkäl(y)əˈmelə/

Definition of columella

noun (plural columellae /-ˈmelˌī, -ˈmelē/)

  • 1 Zoology an ossicle of the middle ear of birds, reptiles, and amphibians.
  • Anatomy the pillar around which the cochlea spirals.
  • 2 Zoology the axis of a spiral shell.
  • 3 Botany the axis of the spore-producing body of some lower plants.

Derivatives

columellar

Pronunciation: /-ˈmelər/

adjective

Origin:

late 16th century: from Latin, 'small column'

columella in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of columella in the British & World English dictionary

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