Standard Lemma guide

heterocercal

adj · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • CMU ARPABET: HH EH2 T ER0 OW0 S ER1 K AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Of a fish's tail, such that the vertebral column bends and extends upwards into the upper lobe of the tail, making it larger than the lower lobe; as in sharks, rays, and skates.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: biology, ichthyology, natural-sciences, zoology

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adjective

Meaning 2

possessing a tail with the upper lobe larger than the lower and with the vertebral column prolonged into the upper lobe

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: homocercal

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *sem- Proto-Indo-European *sḿ̥teros Proto-Hellenic *hə́teros Ancient Greek ἕτερος (héteros)lbor. English hetero- English cercal English heterocercal From hetero- + cercal.