fascicle

noun

fas·ci·cle ˈfa-si-kəl

: a small or slender bundle (as of pine needles or nerve fibers)

: one of the divisions of a book published in parts

fascicled

ˈfa-si-kəld

adjective

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).

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web These lie alongside each other to form the fascicle, or syntrophium, encased in the thickened outside cover, the labium. —

Popular Science, 20 Oct. 2020 These grow from a little cup-like structure called a fascicle, which grows from a small bud on the pine twig shoot. —

Tim Macwelch, Outdoor Life, 23 Dec. 2019 The deep core muscles, called the quadratus lumborum, psoas major, external oblique, and the deep fascicles erector spinae, attach directly to the lumbar vertebrae, and function primarily to stabilize the lumbar spine. —

David Becker, Philly.com, 28 Feb. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fascicle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.