fascicle

noun

fas·ci·cle ˈfa-si-kəl

plural fascicles

: a small or slender bundle: such as

: a tight cluster of plant parts (such as leaves or flowers)

: a slender bundle of anatomical fibers (such as muscle or nerve fibers) : fasciculus sense 1

: one of the divisions of a book published in parts : fasciculus sense 2

fascicled

ˈfa-si-kəld

adjective

fascicled leaves

Did you know?

Fascicle, which has been a part of our language since the 15th century, is one of a bundle of words derived from Latin fascis, meaning "bundle." In book publishing, "fascicle" and its variants "fascicule" and "fasciculus" can all be used for one of the installments of a voluminous work; "fasciculus" can also be used for a bundle of anatomical fibers. "Fasciitis" is an inflammation of a "fascia," which is a sheet of tissue connecting muscles. You can also have a case of "fasciculation," or muscular twitching. Other descendants of "fascis" include "fasces" (a bundle of rods and an ax borne before ancient Roman magistrates as a badge of authority) and "fascine" (a long bundle of sticks of wood bound together).

Examples of fascicle in a Sentence

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Keep Needle Density in Mind Needle density is the number of fascicles, or needles, per shoot length. —Olivia Avitt, People.com, 5 Nov. 2024 Over the course of several months, each fascicle would grow into the muscle, resupplying it with nerve signals. —WIRED, 1 Aug. 2023