acies-, aci-, acicul-

A technical name for a slender needle-like body or part: The aciculae are the spines or prickles which some animals and plants are furnished with, or the needle-like crystals of certain minerals.

1. Needle-like; referring to a stout bristle or an extended and pointed structure: The slender leaves of pine trees, for example, are quite acicular.

A hummingbird has an acicular bill being long and narrow.
2. In metallurgy, when referring to cast iron or an alloy possessing a microstructure of pointed components: Some minerals showing acicular forms include mesolite, malachite, and gypsum.

In hydrology, freshwater ice made up of many long crystals; fibrous ice: satin ice: Such acicular ice contains air bubbles and has many long, needle-like crystals and hollow tubes in a layered arrangement.

The quality or status of being acicular: The photo showing the acicularity of the bird's bill was very precise and clearly defined.

Concerning how something has an end that is long, narrow, and pointed: The bird's bill was quite acicularly sharp and curved to a point at the end.

1. Descriptive of something marked with scratches or making such an appearance: When returning to her car, Susan noticed many aciculate scrapes on the side of it as if they were made with a knife.
2. Concerning a plant, an animal, or a crystal possessing needle-like parts: The arciculate fronds on the Christmas tree were quite sharp and hurt when touched!

Needle-shaped: The aciculiform stem was slender like a needle or a bristle.

Evergreen and deciduous needle-leaved vegetation: Sam and his wife were enthralled at the prospect of camping in the aciculilignosa woodland with coniferous trees and shrubs.

Sharp and pointed like a needle; acicular: Sandy mended her skirt with an aciduline device that was so pointed it could prick her finger if she wasn't careful!

In mineralogy, needle ore: An aciculite is a metallic element that is a silver-white, reddish-tinged, brittle metallic element, such as lead and copper as seen in acicular or needle-shaped crystals.

1. A needlelike spine or bristle: An aciculum is present in certain types of worms or flagellates.
2. A projecting cluster of bristles or setae: An aciculum is found in certain annelid worms, or is a fingerlike or handlike bristle seen in certain flagellate protozoa.
3. In zoology, one of the slender, sharp stylets embedded in the parapodia of certain annelid worms: Small needlelike appendages, or the aciculua, are lodged in the fleshy extremities of polychaetes.
4. A technical name for a slender needlelike body: The spines or prickles of some animals and plants are termed acicula, but also the needlelike crystals of certain minerals are called the acicula.

To convert iron into steel: One of the metal company's projects was to acierate a ductile magnetic metallic element into steel products.

1. In Roman antiquity, a battle array; the front of an army line of battle: In the adventure book Jack was reading, the soldiers were formed in an acies before marching ahead.
2. The keen attention or aim of the eye, ear, etc. when fully directed towards any object: Mary's complete acies was fixed toward the road to catch sight of, or hear the sound of the oncoming bus in order not to miss it!

Needle-shaped or in the form of a needle; acerose: Jimmy used a long thin aciform device with a hole in one end in order sew two pieces of leather together.