Imbricate

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Imbricate \Im"bri*cate\, Imbricated \Im"bri*ca`ted\, a. [L.
     imbricatus, p. p. of imbricare to cover with tiles, to form
     like a gutter tile, fr. imbrex, -icis, a hollow tile, gutter
     tile, fr. imber rain.]
     1. Bent and hollowed like a roof or gutter tile.
        [1913 Webster]


  
     2. Lying over each other in regular order, so as to "break
        joints," like tiles or shingles on a roof, the scales on
        the leaf buds of plants and the cups of some acorns, or
        the scales of fishes; overlapping each other at the
        margins, as leaves in [ae]stivation.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. In decorative art: Having scales lapping one over the
        other, or a representation of such scales; as, an
        imbricated surface; an imbricated pattern.
        [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Imbricate \Im"bri*cate\, v. t.
     To lay in order, one lapping over another, so as to form an
     imbricated surface.
     [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  imbricate
       adj : used especially of leaves or bracts; overlapping or layered
             as scales or shingles [syn: {imbricated}]
       v 1: place so as to overlap; "imbricate the roof tiles"
       2: overlap; "The roof tiles imbricate"