Plural of atelet; small or imperfect objects, particularly in medical contexts referring to incomplete structures or organisms.
From Greek 'ateles' (incomplete) with an anglicized plural form using '-ets' (a diminutive suffix), combining the sense of incomplete with the sense of small or minor.
This word is almost extinct from modern usage, representing how medical terminology evolves—newer, clearer terms replace older Greek-derived words, leaving atelets as a ghost word in old medical textbooks.
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