Cerated

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Having edges that are notched, toothed, or saw-like in appearance
2. Characterized by a series of small, sharp projections resembling teeth along a margin
3. Describing a form or outline edged with repeated indentations or serrations

Etymology: "Cerated" comes from Latin "ceratus," the past participle of "cerare," meaning "to wax," which in turn derives from "cera," the word for wax. The link to a serrated edge is not obvious, so it is worth explaining: in Latin, "ceratus" describes something coated or smeared with wax, and that waxy, smoothed-over sense is the root idea the English adjective grows from. The surprising part is the jump from a surface treated with wax to an edge that is notched or saw-like. The word has kept only the bare sense of "waxed" in its history, while its current meaning turns on the shape of a margin rather than the substance on it. A reader meeting "cerated" today sees a toothed outline, but the word itself carries nothing of that toothed look in its origin.