Orbicular

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ɔːˈbɪk.jə.lə/

Definitions

1. Shaped like a circle or sphere; having a rounded, disk-like form
2. Having a circular or spherical shape, particularly in reference to objects or anatomical structures
3. possessing a form that is rounded and disk-like rather than angular or flat. A form characterized by a spherical appearance, often used in various descriptive contexts, indicating roundness in structure

Etymology: Orbicular is a small Latin family story: it began as a diminutive. Latin "orbis" meant "circle" or "orb," and "orbiculus" was its diminutive, a "little circle" or "little disc." Late Latin then formed the adjective "orbicularis" from it, meaning "round like a little circle," and English took the word over with that sense intact. The English form is simpler than its Latin ancestor suggests. Its base is the Latin "orbicula," a little round thing, to which the English suffix "-ar" was added, the same ending found in words like "lunar" or "circular." The result is a formal, slightly technical adjective whose meaning has stayed close to its physical origin: something shaped like a disc or ring.

Synonyms: circular, round, spherical, disk-shaped, ring-shaped

Antonyms: angular, square, rectangular, flat, straight