noun
- A small, needle-like or bristle-like structure, especially in zoology and botany.
Usage: technical; biology
Examples
- The marine worm's body was covered with tiny acicula that helped it move through the sand.
- Botanists observed the aciculum-like projections on the leaf surface under the microscope.
- The sea cucumber uses its acicula for anchoring itself to the ocean floor.
- Under magnification, the insect's exoskeleton displayed numerous small acicula.
- The aciculum is a characteristic feature used to identify certain species of annelids.