Meanings
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1
adj
biology: shaped or arranged like the teeth of a comb
The male moth's pectinate antennae carried long branches along each side.
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2
verb
rare: to interlock or arrange in a comb-like alternating pattern
The two rows of spines pectinate along the edge of the appendage.
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3
noun
chemistry: a salt or ester of pectinic acid
The analyst identified the compound as a calcium pectinate.
Thesaurus
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin pectinatus, 'combed,' from pectinare, 'to comb,' and pecten, 'comb.' Biological use describes comb-shaped structures; the rarer verb and chemical noun developed independently from related scientific formations.