retinaculum

  1. Noun.  (anatomy) A connecting band.
  2. Noun.  (anatomy) One of the annular ligaments which hold the tendons close to the bones at the larger joints, as at the wrist and ankle.
  3. Noun.  (zoology) One of the retractor muscles of the proboscis of certain worms.
  4. Noun.  (zoology) A loop on the underside of the forewing of some moths.
  5. Noun.  (botany) A small gland or process to which bodies are attached; as, the glandular retinacula to which the pollinia of orchids are attached, or the hooks which support the seeds in many acanthaceous plants.

This is an unmodified, but possibly outdated, definition from Wiktionary and used here under the Creative Commons license. Wiktionary is a great resource. If you like it too, please donate to Wikimedia.

This entry was last updated on RefTopia from its source on 3/20/2012.