furculan.
/ˈfəːkjʊlə/ 1. Ornithology. A forked bone below the neck of a bird, consisting of the two clavicles and an inter-clavicle; the merrythought or wishbone.
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the world > animals > birds > bones > [noun] > furcula or wishbone
froshell1486
merrythought1598
craw-bone1611
skipjack1805
furculum1833
fourchette1854
furcula1859
wishbone1860
pulling bone1877
pully-bone1897
skip-bone1901
pull-bonea1903
1859 C. Darwin Origin of Species (1878) i. 16 Relative size of the two arms of the furcula.
1868 C. Darwin Variation Animals & Plants I. v. 175 The sternum, scapulæ, and furcula are all reduced in proportional length.
1903 J. S. Kingsley tr. Hertwig Man. Zool. 605 Clavicles and furcula are united directly or by ligaments to the broad sternum.
1954 G. C. Kent Compar. Anat. Vertebr. viii. 253 The two clavicles unite in the midline to form a furcula (wishbone).
2. Embryology. A process from which the epiglottis is developed.
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the world > life > biology > biological processes > procreation or reproduction > embryo or fetus > embryo parts > [noun] > mouth or epiglottis
prestomium1870
prostomium1870
furcula1887
thyroglossal duct1909
1887 A. C. Haddon Introd. Study Embryol. vi. 183 Behind this [projection] are a pair of folds (furcula), which eventually will form the epiglottis.
1893 A. M. Marshall Vertebr. Embryol. 562 Along the middle of this swelling, or furcula, there runs a longitudinal groove.
1926 H. E. Jordan & J. E. Kindred Textbk. Embryol. xv. 196 The crest of the furcula becomes elevated and develops into the epiglottis.
3. Entomology. A forked appendage at the end of the abdomen in springtails.
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the world > animals > invertebrates > phylum Arthropoda > class Insecta > subclass Apterygota or Ametabola > [noun] > order Collembola > member of > forked appendage on abdomen
furcula1906
furca1939
1871 Amer. Naturalist 5 10 The spring consists of a pair of three-jointed appendages..forming a fork.]
1906 J. W. Folsom Entomol. ii. 68 Appendages... In Collembola..those of the fourth segment form the characteristic leaping organ, or furcula.
1909 Jrnl. Econ. Bot. 4 9 Furcula somewhat broader than in S[minthurus] aureus.
1932 L. A. Borradaile & F. A. Potts Invertebrata xiv. 408 By contraction of the extensor muscles of the furcula the latter is pulled down out of contact with the hamula and the animal is propelled forwards into the air.
1964 J. T. Salmon Index to Collembola I. 111 Re-examination showed this species to have a well developed furcula.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1898; most recently modified version published online December 2020).
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n.1859