lunule Meaning, Definition & Usage

noun the crescent-shaped area at the base of the human fingernail
lunula; half-moon.

F., fr. L. lunula, dim. of luna moon.

(Anat.) Anything crescent-shaped; a crescent-shaped part or mark; a lunula, a lune.
(Chem.) A lune. See Lune.
(Zoöl.) (a) A small or narrow crescent. (b) A special area in front of the beak of many bivalve shells. It sometimes has the shape of a double crescent, but is oftener heart-shaped. See Illust. of Bivalve.