flabellum

noun

fla·​bel·​lum
fləˈbeləm
plural flabella
-elə
1
: a ceremonial fan:
a
: a fan used in religious ceremonies
b
: a fan displayed on state occasions among the appurtenances of certain dignitaries (as a pope or formerly a bishop or royal personage)
2
[New Latin, from Latin] : a body organ or part that resembles a fan: such as
a
: the epipodite of certain limbs of crustaceans
b
: the proximal exite of the limb of a branchiopod

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin, from Latin, fan, diminutive of flabrum breeze, from flare to blow

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Dictionary Entries Near flabellum

Cite this Entry

“Flabellum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flabellum. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

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