Cimline

/ˈsɪmˌlaɪn/ noun

Definition

A faint or wavy outline; in biology, referring to a waving or undulating line, sometimes used in historical anatomy texts.

Etymology

Possibly from Latin cimba (boat) plus line, or from a lost Romance language root meaning to wave or undulate. The word appears primarily in older scientific and artistic texts with uncertain etymology.

Kelly Says

Cimline appears occasionally in vintage medical illustrations to describe the edges of organs—it's one of those delightfully specific technical terms that almost disappeared from English but survives in museum archives!

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