Meanings
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1
adj
resembling a leaf or composed of leaflike parts
The coral spread into thin, foliaceous plates along the reef.
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2
adj
bearing many leaves or other leafy growth
The botanist distinguished the foliaceous stem from the nearly bare one beside it.
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3
adj
of rock or minerals, arranged in thin leaflike layers
The specimen split easily along its foliaceous crystals.
Thesaurus
Etymology
From Latin foliāceus, 'leafy' or 'leaflike,' from folium, 'leaf,' with the English adjectival suffix -ous. Scientific writers extended the botanical description to minerals and structures arranged in thin leaflike sheets.