Definition of lacuna
lacunae
play \lə-ˈkyü-(ˌ)nē, -ˈkü-ˌnī\ alsolacunas
play \lə-ˈkü-nəz, -ˈkyü-\1 : a blank space or a missing part : gap the evident lacunae in his story — Shirley Hazzard; also : deficiency 1 despite all these lacunae, those reforms were a vast improvement — New Republic
2 : a small cavity, pit, or discontinuity in an anatomical structure
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Examples of lacuna in a Sentence
She found a lacuna in the historical record.
attributes many of the nation's problems to a lacuna of leadership at the top
Recent Examples of lacuna from the Web
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The lacuna bespeaks incuriosity about the wife of the great man, which Merz was at no pains to correct.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'lacuna.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Did You Know?
Exploring the etymology of lacuna involves taking a plunge into the pit - or maybe a leap into the "lacus" (that's the Latin word for "lake"). Latin speakers modified "lacus" into "lacuna," and used it to mean "pit," "cleft," or "pool." English speakers borrowed the term in the 17th century. Another English word that traces its origin to "lacuna" is "lagoon," which came to us by way of Italian and French.
Origin and Etymology of lacuna
Latin, pool, pit, gap — more at lagoon
LACUNA Defined for English Language Learners
lacuna
playDefinition of lacuna for English Language Learners
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: a gap or blank space in something : a missing part
Medical Dictionary
Medical Definition of lacuna
lacunae
\-ˈkyü-(ˌ)nē, -ˈkü-ˌnī\play play: a small cavity, pit, or discontinuity in an anatomical structure: asa: one of the follicles in the mucous membrane of the urethrab: one of the minute cavities in bone or cartilage occupied by the osteocytes
Illustration of lacuna
Learn More about lacuna
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for lacuna Spanish Central: Translation of lacuna Nglish: Translation of lacuna for Spanish speakers
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