Decemstriate

/dɛˈsɛmˌstraɪeɪt/ adjective

Definition

Having ten stripes, bands, or furrows; marked with ten parallel lines or grooves.

Etymology

From Latin decem (ten) plus striatus (having stripes), from stria (a groove or stripe). A technical botanical or biological term describing objects with exactly ten linear markings.

Kelly Says

In taxonomy, these ultra-precise words let scientists distinguish between incredibly similar species—two beetles might look identical to us, but counting their ten striae versus nine changes the entire classification.

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