something shaped like a narrow crescent, as the small, pale area at the base of the fingernail.
Also, lunule
[loo-nyool] /ˈlu nyul/ (Show IPA).
Origin
1565-75; < Latinlūnula, equivalent to lūn(a) moon + -ula-ule
Related forms
pseudolunula, noun, plural pseudolunulae.
pseudolunule, noun
British Dictionary definitions for lunula
lunula
/ˈluːnjʊlə/
noun (pl) -nulae (-njʊˌliː), -nules
1.
the white crescent-shaped area at the base of the human fingernail Nontechnical name half-moon
Word Origin
C16: from Latin: small moon, from lūna
lunula in Medicine
lunula lu·nu·la (lōōn'yə-lə) n.pl.lu·nu·lae (-lē') A small crescent-shaped structure or marking, especially the proximal region at the base of a fingernail that resembles a half-moon.