Having ribs or rib-like ridges and grooves running along a surface.
From Latin 'costella,' a diminutive of 'costa' (rib), plus the suffix '-ate' (having the quality of). Used in biology and botany to describe the ribbed texture of shells, leaves, or other natural objects.
When botanists describe a leaf as costellate, they're using an 800-year-old Latin metaphor—recognizing that nature's ribs and our ribs serve the same purpose of providing structure and support.
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