: of, relating to, or being the annular suspension of the lens of the eye
2
: of or relating to cilia
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the WebTheir centimeter-wide chip is carpeted with about a thousand tiny platinum-titanium strips, divided into 16 ciliary units of 64 cilia each. Saugat Bolakhe, Scientific American, 11 July 2022 Programs to help treat cystic fibrosis and primary ciliary dyskinesia are in preclinical stages, using a non-viral lipid nanoparticle to deliver a payload to a specific organ. Ann Gehan, Dallas News, 2 Sep. 2021 One indefatigable individual subjected to 13 bead blasts responded persistently with ciliary alternation or contraction, never bending or detachment. Jennifer Frazer, Scientific American, 22 May 2021 As Rosen zoomed in, however, an animal flowed across my field of vision, rapidly propelled by its scintillating ciliary fringe. Emily Underwood, The Atlantic, 8 June 2020
Word History
First Known Use
1691, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing ciliary
ciliary body
ciliary body
Medical Definition
ciliary
adjective
cil·i·ary ˈsil-ē-ˌer-ē
1
: of or relating to cilia
ciliary movement
2
: of, relating to, or being the annular suspension of the lens of the eye