globular

adjective

glob·​u·​lar ˈglä-byə-lər 

 sense 1b is also  ˈglō-

1

a(1)

: having the shape of a globe or globule

(2)

: composed of compactly folded polypeptide chains arranged in a spherical form

globular proteins

b

: global

2

: having or consisting of globules

Synonyms

• global
• round
• spherical

Example Sentences

the globular streetlights give the pedestrian mall a Gay Nineties look

Recent Examples on the Web

There are postcards of health-care workers battling the spiky globular virus, of cityscapes emptied by the pandemic, of fanciful outfits designed to maintain social distancing (a hat six feet in diameter, for example). —John Kelly, Washington Post, 9 May 2023

The brown widow spiders have relatively spindly legs and deep, globular abdomens. —Tim Macwelch, Outdoor Life, 3 May 2023

The pretty little weed arrived innocuously enough with delicate, yellow globular flowers and feathery carrotlike leaves. —Mare Czinar, The Arizona Republic, 31 Mar. 2023

Its small stature belies its most striking feature: LIFE (Large Integrated Flexible Environment) habitat, an inflatable structure that attaches to the back of the spaceplane and expands in orbit into globular living quarters measuring 27 feet in diameter, the equivalent of a three-story building. —Jaclyn Trop, Robb Report, 29 Dec. 2022

Because spider venom contains mostly globular proteins (a type of spherical proteins including hemoglobin and insulin), the transfer of genetic material from spider to human could only occur if a viral parasite were carrying all of the spider's most incredible genes. —Courtney Linder, Popular Mechanics, 26 Aug. 2020

But by age 1 or so, modern humans had grown globular brains, whereas Neandertal babies had not. —Andrew Moseman, Discover Magazine, 9 Nov. 2010

However, unlike most globular clusters, its stars are relatively young. —Julia Musto, Fox News, 28 Dec. 2022

Or, alternatively, groups of stars called globular clusters can spin into the galaxy’s center, where they’re ripped into the building blocks of new stars by the supermassive black hole. —Chelsea Gohd, Discover Magazine, 13 Sep. 2018

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Word History

Etymology

partly from Latin globus + English -ular; partly from Latin globulus + English -ar

First Known Use

1626, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Phrases Containing globular

• globular cluster

• globular cluster

Medical Definition

globular

adjective

glob·​u·​lar ˈgläb-yə-lər 

1

a

: having the shape of a globe or globule

b

: composed of compactly folded polypeptide chains arranged in a spherical form

globular proteins

2

: having or consisting of globules

globularly

-lē 

adverb