neuration

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   the pattern or arrangement of veins, especially in an insect's wing and sometimes in a leaf

   The taxonomist compared the wing neuration of the two moth species.

Formed from neur- + -ation. Neur- ultimately comes from Greek neuron, 'sinew or nerve.' Early anatomists called the supporting veins of insect wings nerves, so neuration came to denote their arrangement even though they do not function as nerves.

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