Labi

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. The folds or lips surrounding the opening of the female external genitalia; any lip-like structure on a plant or animal; a term used in botany and zoology to describe similar edge parts
2. The paired soft flaps bordering the vulva; a botanical or anatomical feature resembling a lip or edge; descriptive term for lip-shaped components in various organisms
3. The soft lateral skin folds constituting part of female reproductive anatomy; edge-like projections found in botanical or zoological contexts; a name for lip-like margins in living organisms

Etymology: "Labi" is not a standard English form. The word the definition describes is "labia," the plural of "labium," which comes from the Latin "labium," meaning "lip." That Latin word shares its ultimate root with English "lip," and English adopted the anatomical term directly from Latin, where it was used for literal lips. In English it is a noun, not an adjective, and the sense for lip-like edges on plants and animals is the older, more general meaning, with the anatomical use coming later.

Synonyms: labi-, labial