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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Pinna \Pin"na\, noun; pl. {Pinn[ae]}, E. {Pinnas}. [L., a feather.]
1. (Bot.) (a) A leaflet of a pinnate leaf. See Illust. of {Bipinnate leaf}, under {Bipinnate}. (b) One of the primary divisions of a decompound leaf.
2. (Zo["o]l.) One of the divisions of a pinnate part or organ.
3. [L. pinna, akin to Gr. ?.] (Zo["o]l.) Any species of {Pinna}, a genus of large bivalve mollusks found in all warm seas. The byssus consists of a large number of long, silky fibers, which have been used in manufacturing woven fabrics, as a curiosity.
4. (Anat.) The auricle of the ear. See {Ear}.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Byssus \Bys"sus\, noun; pl. E. {Byssuses}; L. {Byssi}.[L. byssus fine flax, fine linen or cotton, Gr. by'ssos .]
1. A cloth of exceedingly fine texture, used by the ancients. It is disputed whether it was of cotton, linen, or silk. [Written also {byss} and {byssin}.]
2. (Zo["o]l.) A tuft of long, tough filaments which are formed in a groove of the foot, and issue from between the valves of certain bivalve mollusks, as the {Pinna} and {Mytilus}, by which they attach themselves to rocks, etc.
3. (Bot.) An obsolete name for certain fungi composed of slender threads.
4. Asbestus.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
pinna
noun
1: division of a usually pinnately divided leaf [syn: {pinnule}]
2: the externally visible cartilaginous structure of the external ear [syn: {auricle}, {ear}] [also: {pinnae} (pl)]
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Definitions retrieved from local copies of the freely distributed DICT client/server software and databases. Click here for database copyright information. - KM |