umbo

(um)

noun pl. umbones or umbos

  1. the boss, or knob, at the center of a shield
  2. something resembling this; specif.,
    1. the elevation beside the hinge on each half of a bivalve shell
    2. the prominence on the eardrum at the point of attachment of the malleus

Origin: L, akin to umbilicus, navel

Related Forms:

See umbo in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun pl. um·bo·nes (ŭm-bōˈnēz) or um·bos
  1. The boss or knob at the center of a shield.
  2. a. Biology A knoblike protuberance arising from a surface, as the prominence near the hinge of a bivalve shell or the projection at the scale tip of a seed-bearing cone.
    b. Anatomy A small projection at the center of the outer surface of the eardrum.

Origin:

Origin: Latin umbō, umbōn-; see nobh- in Indo-European roots

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Related Forms:

  • umˈbo·nal (ŭmˈbə-nəl, ŭm-bōˈnəl), um·bonˈic (ŭm-bŏnˈĭk) adjective

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