Spherulars

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Comprised of small rounded globules or particles resembling miniature spheres ; relating to objects having the form of tiny balls ; pertaining to masses or aggregates made up of spherelike units
2. Pertaining to things made up of numerous little ball-shaped elements ; describing items that consist of small rounded bodies ; relating to groups of minute spherical particles
3. Referring to entities constructed from or containing many small globular forms ; involving clusters of tiny sphere-like objects ; describing masses characterized by their spherelike composition

Etymology: "Spherulars" is not a common English noun, and the sense given ("made of globules") points to a technical adjective used in mineralogy and materials science, so the word is most likely formed by adding the adjectival suffix "-ar" to "spherule," a diminutive of Latin "sphaera," meaning sphere. Spherules are small spherical bodies, and in geology the term describes tiny rounded grains or crystal aggregates found in rocks such as volcanic glass. The base word "spherule" came into English through scientific writing, and it is a formation from the Greek-derived "sphere," which reached English through Old French and Latin. The "-ule" ending is the Latin diminutive, as in "globule" and "molecule," so the core idea is literally "little sphere." Because the word is a technical coinage built from classical parts, it belongs to the vocabulary of specialists rather than to everyday speech.

Synonyms: spherical particles