lunule Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun the crescent-shaped area at the base of the human fingernail
    lunula; half-moon.

WordNet

Lu"nule noun
Etymology
F., fr. L. lunula, dim. of luna moon.
Definitions
  1. (Anat.) Anything crescent-shaped; a crescent-shaped part or mark; a lunula, a lune.
  2. (Chem.) A lune. See Lune.
  3. (Zoöl.) (a) A small or narrow crescent. (b) A special area in front of the beak of many bivalve shells. It sometimes has the shape of a double crescent, but is oftener heart-shaped. See Illust. of Bivalve.

Webster 1913