Cymbate

/sɪmˈbeɪt/ adjective

Definition

Boat-shaped or having the form of a cymbal; curved like a hollow vessel.

Etymology

From Latin cymba (boat) + -ate (suffix forming adjectives). The Latin cymba derives from Greek kymbē, originally referring to a boat-shaped object, later applied to objects with similar curved forms.

Kelly Says

This word shows how ancient people named things by what they looked like—a boat shape was so distinctive that Greeks used it to describe anything concave and curved. That's why so many botanical and anatomical terms use 'cymb-' roots!

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