noun
cirrus
A slender, tendril-like appendage on certain animals or plants.
Under magnification, a slender cirrus extends from the small marine animal's body.
Etymology
The Latin word names a curl or tuft of hair. Biology applies that image to slender appendages whose shape resembles a curling strand or tendril.
More examples
- The diagram labels the animal's hairlike cirri.
- A flexible cirrus projects beside the mouth.
- The researcher records the length of each cirrus.
Forms
cirrus · cirri
Similar words
- appendage
- Appendage is general; cirrus specifically suggests a slender tendril-like extension.