imbricate

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   overlapping regularly like roof tiles or fish scales

   The bud had imbricate scales arranged in several close layers.

2. 2
   verb

   to overlap, or arrange things so that they overlap, in a regular pattern

   The builder will imbricate the slate tiles to keep rain from entering the roof.

From Latin imbricatus ("tiled"), from imbrex ("roof tile"), ultimately related to imber ("rain"). The tile pattern supplied the botanical and zoological adjective for regularly overlapping leaves, scales, or other parts.

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