costal

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   anatomy: relating to a rib or the ribs

   The surgeon examined the costal cartilage connecting the rib to the breastbone.

2. 2
   adj

   zoology: relating to a costa, especially the leading edge or a principal vein of an insect wing

   A small membrane lay between the butterfly's costal and subcostal veins.

Appears in

Borrowed through French costal from Medieval Latin costalis, 'relating to a rib,' from Latin costa, 'rib or side.' Zoologists extended costa and costal to riblike ridges and strengthened edges such as an insect wing's leading vein.

Topics

External links

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• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary