adjective

1. overlapping evenly, as tiles or fish scales do
2. ornamented with overlapping scales or a pattern like this

Etymology: LL imbricatus, pp. of L imbricare, to cover with gutter tiles < imbrax, gutter tile < imber, rain < IE base *ṃbh-, var. of *nebh-, moist, water > Gr nephos, cloud, Ger nebel, fog

transitive verb imbricated -·cat′ed, imbricating -·cat′·ing

intransitive verb