Cucullate

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Having a shape that is reminiscent of a hood or covering
2. Describes something that has the form or appearance of a covering that drapes like a hood
3. Having an outline or structure similar to a protective or concealing hood

Etymology: Cucullate comes from Latin "cucullatus," meaning "hooded," itself derived from "cucullus," a hood or cowl, the same root that gives English "cowl." The Latin adjective was formed with the suffix "-atus," which gives many English words the sense "provided with" or "shaped like." English borrowed the Latin form, and it has stayed almost entirely in technical use. In botany and zoology the word describes parts shaped like a hood or cowl. A cucullate leaf, for example, is rolled or folded so that its edges form a hood-like cup, and the term is used for certain petals, bracts, and insect structures with the same look. The image is literal: a shape that could be pulled over the head.